Considered native to southeastern Asia and northern Australia
Perennial tree that is found generally in disturbed areas, road edges, and openings in forests or thickets. It has historically been used as an ornamental plant, shade tree, or fuelwood. It is a highly tolerable plant that thrives under a large variety of environmental climates and soils. This plant is poisonous to humans, livestock, and mammals if ingested. Pretty much all parts of the plant are considered poisonous. It can grow up to 50 feet tall and has slightly purple twigs with brown spots. The leaves can grow up to 2 feet long are arranged alternately along the stem and are bipinnately compound and toothed. Flowers are pink to purple (often lilac colored) and arranged in numerous small clusters that bloom in early spring. Chinaberry produces yellow to yellow-green wrinkly drupe fruits that are about 0.4-0.5 inches in diameter. Chinaberry releases compounds in its leaves and roots through allelopathy that inhibits the growth of other plants in that area, resulting in large patches of this tree. It reproduces by spreading its seeds through wildlife or being carried by bodies of water. It is best controlled by using herbicides on its leaves or bark but it is also effective for seedlings to be removed including all of the roots. Another helpful control method is to cut the tree into a stump and then spraying the stump with herbicides.
The plant was introduced around 1830 as an ornamental in the United States (South Carolina and Georgia) and widely planted in southern states. Today it is considered an invasive species by some groups as far north as Virginia and Oklahoma. But nurseries continue to sell the trees, and seeds are also widely available. (Wikipedia). Has been cultivated and planted in many parts of the world since the 16th century.