African horseradish tree, cabbagetree
Moringa stenopetala

Family: Moringaceae

What it is like

African Horseradish Tree or Moringa stenopetala is a cultivated food plant reaching a height of up to 15 m. It has a smooth bark, soft branches, compound leaves, and white scented flowers. The fruits are yellow, long pods that split open to release winged seeds. Leaf infusion is a remedy for leprosy, hypertension, retained placenta, asthma, colds, and wounds. Roots are burned and the smoke is inhaled as a treatment for epilepsy. The leaves and roots are used in the treatment of malaria, stomach conditions, and diabetes. Young leaves are eaten raw or cooked. Young fruits, flowers, and seedpods are all edible as well. The seeds are used to purify water. Seed oil is used as a lubricant, and in perfumery and soap making. The wood is used for paper making, and as firewood and charcoal.

Moringa stenopetala is a deciduous Tree growing to 9 m (29ft) by 9 m (29ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 9

Where it is found

Acacia tortilis woodland, riverine woodland of Hyphaene, Acacia, etc.; Acacia, Delonix, Commiphora associations, scrub and succulent steppe; usually on rocky ground by permanent water; at elevations from 390 - 1,200 metres.

East tropical Africa - Ethiopia and Kenya.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Kenya; Ethiopia, Africa, East Africa, Malawi, Senegal, Somalia, West Africa,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Young leaves - raw or cooked and eaten as a vegetable. A larger leaf with a milder flavour than the leaves of M. Oleifera. Traditionally, the leaflets are separated from the rachis and plunged into boiling water. Salt or sodium carbonate is added to the water. While the leaves are cooking, a mixture of flours is prepared, then kneaded and made into balls 2 - 5cm in diameter. These are tossed into the water as well and after about 10 minutes the balls and the leaves are ready to serve. The addition of fat (grease or butter), small-sized cereal balls and a large amount of leaves are considered to make this dish a good-quality meal. The young, soft fruits can also be added, but the slightly bitter taste restricts the use to periods when food is in short supply. Flowers - cooked and eaten as a vegetable. Seedpods - cooked. This probably refers to the young seedpods, as mentioned above, which have a bitter flavour.

Oil: Oil

Seedpod: things such as Okra, French and Runner beans.

Medicine

Rating: 3

An infusion of the leaves is used as a remedy against leprosy. They are also used to treat hypertension, retained placenta, asthma, colds, as an anthelmintic, to induce vomiting and to promote wound healing. The leaves of certain trees of this species are renowned for their effectiveness against diarrhoea. The smoke of burning roots is used as a treatment for epilepsy. The smoke is said to be inhaled by women in Sudan during a difficult labour, but as the species has not been collected so far in Somalia, this record is probably incorrect. The leaves and roots are used as a cure for malaria, stomach problems and diabetes. The bark is chewed as a treatment against coughs, and is also used to make fortifying soups. Ethanol extracts of the leaves and roots have shown promise in control of Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania donovani in in-vitro experiments. The leaf extract causes increased uterine smooth muscle contractions. The medicinal use of leaves to expel a retained placenta may be related to these increased contractions. A crude seed extract strongly inhibited growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella sp. And Candida albicans. An aqueous extract of the leaves has been found to lower blood glucose concentration although it was less potent than glibenclamide. The effect was observed to increase with time and with increasing dose of the extract.

Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.

Antiasthmatic: Treats asthma.

Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.

Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.

Epilepsy: Used in the treatment of Epilepsy - a disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures.

Hypoglycaemic: Reduces the levels of sugar in the blood.

Hypotensive: Reduces blood pressure, it is used in the treatment of high blood pressure

Leprosy: Used to treat leprosy - a chronic bacterial infection of the skin and superficial nerves (in the skin) caused by Mycobacterium leprae.

Malaria: Treats malaria - an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites spread to people through the bites of mosquitos.

Other

Rating: 4

Agroforestry Uses: The tree is used as a living fence. Although in cultivation the primary goal is vegetable production, the tree can also play a role in erosion control, as a live fence, as a windbreak, for shade and as a bee plant. Traditionally, the trees are mainly grown in home gardens of up to 0.1 ha with 5 - 15 trees per garden. Other crops usually grown in these gardens are papaya, coffee, banana, cassava, maize, sugar cane, cotton and Capsicum peppers. Other Uses The seeds of this species are very effective for water purification. The seed contains a protein (cationic polyelectrolyte) that acts as a flocculent in water purification. It can be extracted from the ground seed with salt water. Even very muddy water can be cleared when the crushed seeds are added. Solid matter and some bacteria will coagulate and then sink to the bottom of the container of water. The cleaned water can then be poured off and boiled. The seed oil is used as a lubricant, in perfumery and in soap production.. The wood is very soft and is useful for making paper. The wood makes low-grade firewood and poor-quality charcoal.

Charcoal: Used for fuel, drawing, deodorant, filter, fertilizer etc.

Cosmetic: Used to improve the physical appearence of a person.

Fencing: Plants that can be used for fencing.

Filter: Used to strain out particles from liquids.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.

Shelterbelt: Wind resistant plants than can be grown to provide shelter in the garden etc.

Soap: Plants used directly as a soap substitute.

Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Staple Crop: Oil: (0-15 percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Some of these are consumed whole while others are exclusively pressed for oil. Annuals include canola, poppyseed, maize, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut. Perennials include high-oil fruits, seeds, and nuts, such as olive, coconut, avocado, oil palm, shea, pecan, and macadamia. Some perennial oil crops are consumed whole as fruits and nuts, while others are exclusively pressed for oil (and some are used fresh and for oil).

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Coppice: A traditional method of woodland management which exploits the capacity of many species of trees to put out new shoots from their stump or roots if cut down.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

A plant of the arid to moist tropics, where it can be grown at elevations from 390 - 2,200 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 25 - 35°c, but can tolerate 15 - 48°c. Plants can tolerate light frosts, even heavier frosts do not always kill the plant since it is able to resprout from the base. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 1,500mm, but tolerates 200 - 2,800mm. Grows best in a sunny position, but tolerates light shade. Prefers a well-drained soil with a high groundwater table, but it can also withstand dry conditions well, and consequently it is found in both wetlands and dry areas. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 8, tolerating 5 - 9. Plants are very drought tolerant, remaining green and continuing to grow even during exceptionally long dry seasons. In experimental plantings in Sudan, plants reached a height of 3 metres within 14 months. The first flowers appeared 30 months after sowing. The first leaves can be harvested after about 3 years. Trees are pruned every 5 years during the rainy season. The leaves are preferably left on the trees during the rainy season when other vegetables are in ample supply. The leaves have a better taste in the dry season than during the rains. Yield estimates are scarce. Annual production can reach 2,000 fruits or 6 kg of seed per tree under ideal conditions. At elevations of over 1,650 m no fruits at all are harvested and leaf production is poor. The taste of the leaves differs between trees and ranges from sweet to bitter.

Propagating it: Seed - sow in individual pots in a semi-shaded position, placing the seed 1cm deep in a mixture of sand and loam enriched with compost. Do not allow the compost to become dry. Germination rates of fresh seeds approaches 100%, they germinate fastest at 25 - 30°c. Transplanting to permanent positions can be done when the plants are 20cm tall or 6 months old, and with proper water supply (about 25 litres of water every 3 - 4 days) all plants should survive. Seeds of up to 1 year old have a germination rate close to 100%; germination of older seeds is variable and declines as a function of age and storage method. The most common practice in traditional cultivation is to transplant seedlings that have become established under old trees. Before transplanting, branches and roots are cut and the seedlings are left to dry for a week, roots are covered with ash and upper parts with dung. Cuttings can be used, but trees established from cuttings were found to have a poor root system.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

The glucosinolates in the leaves were found to cause goitre but to a lesser extent than expected on the basis of their concentration. However, in a diet poor in iodine it may be a contributing factor.

Its other names

Local names

Cabbage tree, Eleku, Etebusoit, Heleko, Lorsanjo, Mawali, Safara, Wocheletcha, african moringa, cabbagetree, etebusoit, ethiopian horseradish tree, lorsanjo, mau, mawali, moringa éthiopien, safara.

Synonyms

Donaldsonia stenopetala Baker f. Moringa streptocarpa Chiov.

African horseradish tree, cabbagetree Moringa stenopetala