Horseradish Tree, Moringa,
Moringa oleifera

Family: Moringaceae

What it is like

Commonly known in various names such as Horseradish tree, Moringa, Drumstick tree, Ben Oil tree, and Benzoil tree, Moringa oleifera is the only genus in the Moringaceae family. It is deciduous, fast growing, and resistant to drought reaching a height of up to 12 m and trunk diameter of up to 45 cm upon maturity. It has an open crown of drooping branches and tripinatte leaves. The leaves are yellow-white, fragrant, and thinly veined. The fruit is a three-sided capsule, brown in color, and hanging. The seeds are globular, dark boring and have whitish papery wings. It can be dispersed by wind and water. The roots are shredded and used as a condiment. The leaves are the most nutritious plant part. It is often cooked and consumed as vegetable, or dried and crushed into a powder then added into soups and sauce. The seed pods are edible when immature but become inedible and bitter as it mature. The seeds can be eaten like peas or roasted. It yields edible oil known as ben oil which is clear and odorless. The flowers can also be eaten raw or cooked. Horseradish tree, in general, is diuretic, rubefacient, and laxative. It can be used to increase milk flow and control bacterial infections. It can also be used as treatment for asthma, gout, rheumatism, inflammation, bladder and kidney stones, boils, ulcers, wounds, skin diseases, snake bites, etc. Horseradish tree is also planted as windbreaks and to prevent soil erosion. Propagation is by seed or cuttings. The bark is used for tanning. The wood yields blue dye and used only for light constructions.

Moringa oleifera is a deciduous Tree growing to 8 m (26ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Bees, Sunbirds. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in saline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Height (m): 8

Where it is found

Readily colonizes stream banks and savannah areas where the soils are well drained and the water table remains fairly high all the year round.

E. Asia - Indian subcontinent.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Andamans, Angola, Antigua-Barbuda, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central African Republic, Central America, Chad, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, East Africa, East Timor, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guam, Guatemala, Guiana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India*, Indochina, Indonesia, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan*, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Rwanda, Sahel, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, St Kitts, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, Uganda, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Young leaves and shoots - raw or cooked. Added to salads, cooked as a potherb and added to soups and curries. They have a mustard-like flavour. The leaves contain 7 - 10% protein. (This almost certainly refers to the dried leaf.) The leaves are very nutritious, being rich in vitamins, minerals and the sulphur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine, which are often in short supply. The young, tender seedlings make an excellent cooked vegetable. Flowers - raw or cooked. Added to salads, cooked as a potherb and added to soups and curries. They can also be used to make a tea. Seedpods. The long, bean-like pods are used in soups and curries, or made into pickles. The young pods are said to have a taste reminiscent of asparagus and can be eaten raw. The pods can be 15 - 45cm long. Seeds. The immature seeds are eaten like peas. A sweet flavour. Mature seeds, when roasted or fried, are said to resemble peanuts in flavour. An oil obtained from the seeds is used in salads and cooking. Pleasantly flavoured, it resembles olive oil and is an excellent salad oil. The oil is clear and odourless and does not become rancid quickly. The seeds from mature pods (which can be 40-50 cm long) are browned in a skillet, mashed and placed in boiling water, which causes the oil to float to the surface. The pungent root is used like horseradish (Armoracea rusticana) as a hot flavouring in foods. Even when free of the bark, the condiment when used in excess may be harmful. A reddish gum obtained from the bark is used as a seasoning. Used in a similar manner to gum tragacanth.

Inner bark: the bark that is found just beneath the tough outer bark of trees and shrubs.

Oil: Oil

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

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

Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.

Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.

Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicine

Rating: 4

The horseradish tree is a nutritious, diuretic, laxative herb that is expectorant, increases milk flow, controls bacterial infections and is rubefacient when applied topically. It contains a potent antibiotic. Ben oil, obtained from the seeds, has no taste, smell or colour and is exceptionally resistant to oxidation. The young leaves are taken internally to increase the milk flow in nursing mothers. The root is used as a vesicant. The alkaloid spirachin (a nerve paralyzer) has been found in the roots. The root juice is used internally in the treatment of asthma, gout, rheumatism, enlarged spleen and liver, bladder and kidney stones, inflammatory conditions. Externally, the root is used to treat boils, ulcers, glandular swellings, infected wounds, skin diseases, dental infections, snake bites and gout. The roots and bark are used for cardiac and circulatory problems, as a tonic and for inflammation. The bark is an appetizer and digestive. The gum is demulcent, diuretic, astringent and abortifacient. It is used in cough syrups and in the treatment of asthma. The bark and gum are used in the treatment of tuberculosis and septicaemia. Flowers and immature fruits are said to be a good rubefacient. A decoction of the flowers is used as a cold remedy. The seeds are effective against skin-infecting bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. They contain the potent antibiotic and fungicide terygospermin. Oil of Ben is used for hysteria, scurvy, prostate problems and bladder troubles. A number of compounds with medicinal properties have been isolated. The fruit and leaf contain oxalic acid, the bark moringinine, the stem vanillin, the flower kaempferol and quercetin and the root spirochin and pterygospermin. The seeds contain a glucosinolate that on hydrolysis yields 4-(alpha-L-rhamnosyloxy)-benzylisothiocyanate, an active bactericide and fungicide.

Abortifacient: Causes an abortion.

Antiasthmatic: Treats asthma.

Antibiotic: An agent that inhibits or destroys a living organism. It usually refers to bacteria or other micro-organisms and is probably synonymous with Antibacterial

Antifungal: An agent that inhibits or destroys fungi. Used in the treatment of various fungal problems such as candida.

Antiinflammatory: Reduces inflammation of joints, injuries etc.

Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.

Appetizer: Improves the appetite

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Cardiac: Used in the treatment of heart problems.

Demulcent: Soothes, lubricates and softens irritated tissues, especially the mucous membranes.

Digestive: Aids digestion.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.

Kidney: Used in the treatment of kidney diseases

Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.

Odontalgic: Treats toothache (temporary measure only) and other problems of the teeth and gums.

Rubefacient: A counter-irritant and external stimulant, it produces inflammation and redness of the skin.

Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Vesicant: A blistering agent.

Other

Rating: 5

Seaside tree. Flowering tree. Coastal street tree. Specimen. Xerophytic. Agroforestry Uses: Plants can be grown as an informal hedge, providing wind protection, shade and support for climbing garden plants. Widely used for live fences and hedges in many areas. Stakes root easily and are stable, and cuttings planted in lines are used particularly around houses and gardens. Because its shade can be controlled well Moringa oleifera is suitable for planting in alley cropping and in vegetable gardens. When trees reach 1.5 metres, farmers prune them (at 50cm from the ground or at ground level for older ones) once or twice a year. In alley cropping, an intra-row spacing of 2 metres is used. In the wet season cereals are grown between the lines, in the dry season vegetables. Because the tree is fast growing and readily colonizes areas such as stream banks and savannah, it makes a very good pioneer species for establishing a woodland garden. It is able to provide food after just a few months and also providing shelter to help other plants to establish. Other Uses The oil obtained from the mature seed and pods, known as 'oil of ben', has been used to lubricate watches and other fine machinery. It is also used in perfumery, artist's paints, soaps and ointments. It is yellowish, non-drying, has good keeping qualities but eventually turns rancid. The powdered seeds are used to clarify sugar cane juice. A suspension of the ground seed is used as a primary coagulant. It can clarify water of any degree of visible turbidity. At high turbidity, its action is almost as fast as that of alum, but at medium and low turbidity, good clarification is obtained if a small cloth bag filled with the powdered seeds is swirled round in the turbid water. To prepare the seed for use as a coagulant, remove the seed coat and wings. The white kernel is then crushed to a powder, using a mortar or placing it in a cloth and crushing it with a stone. The powder should be mixed with a small amount of water, stirred, then poured through a tea strainer before being added to the turbid water. The seed cake residue from oil extraction can also be used for water purification. The seed contains a protein (cationic polyelectrolyte) that acts as a flocculant in water purification. It also contains a non-protein flocculant that is more effective in purifying low-turbidity water. The bark, when beaten, produces a fibre used to make small ropes and mats. A study on the production of rayon-grade pulp from M. Oleifera by a prehydrolyzed sulphate process in India shows that it is suitable as a raw material for the production of high alpha cellulose pulp for use in cellophane and textiles. When the tree is injured, the stem exudes a gum that is used in calico printing. The bark is used for tanning. The wood yields a blue dye. The crushed leaves are used to clean pots, pans and walls. The press cake left after oil extraction from the seeds can be used as a soil conditioner or as fertilizer. The wood is very soft, corky and light, and is useful only for light construction work. It is pulped as a source of rayon and cellophane. The soft and light wood burns smoke-free and is an acceptable firewood for cooking but makes poor charcoal. It has a density of 0.5-0.7 and yields approximately 4600 kcal/kg.

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

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Fencing: Plants that can be used for fencing.

Fertilizer: Provides a concentrated solid plant food.

Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.

Filter: Used to strain out particles from liquids.

Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.

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

Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.

Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.

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.

Pioneer: Plants, usually trees and shrubs, that can be used to reforest land.

Plant support: Usually bamboos, used as canes in the garden for holding up plants.

Scourer: Used for cleaning pots, pans, plates etc.

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

Soap making: Plants used as an ingredient in making soaps. Does not include the essential oils, dyes and oils that are also used in making soap.

Soil conditioner: Plants grown to improve the structure of the soil. See also Green manures.

String: Plants that can be used for string or can be easily made into a string. See also Fibre. Plants for ropes may be included.

Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.

Weaving: Items such as grass and palm leaves that are woven together for making mats, baskets etc. See also Basket making and Fibre.

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

Agroforestry Services: Alley crop: Integrates annual crops with rows of perennials.

Agroforestry Services: Contour hedgerow: Alley cropping systems on the contour of slopes.

Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.

Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.

Agroforestry Services: Living trellis: Plants to physically support other crops.

Fodder: Bank: Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.

Industrial Crop: Medicinal: Most pharmaceuticals are synthesized from petroleum but 25% of modern medicines are based on plants.

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.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Other Systems: FMAFS: Farmer-Managed Agroforestry Farming Systems.

Other Systems: Homegarden: Tropical multistrata agroforestry (multi-story combinations of trees, crops, domestic animals in the homestead).

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).

Staple Crop: Protein: (16+ percent protein, 0-15 percent oil). Annuals include beans, chickpeas, lentils, cowpeas, and pigeon peas. Perennials include perennial beans, nuts, leaf protein concentrates, and edible milks.