Moringa
Moringa peregrina

Family: Moringaceae

What it is like

Moringa peregrina is a deciduous Tree growing to 8 m (26ft) by 6 m (19ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Height (m): 8

Where it is found

Rocky slopes of wadis and gullies; Acacia- Commiphora woodland, sometimes on nearly bare rock with a strongly reduced root system, at elevations up to 850 metres.

Northeast tropical Africa - southern Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed. Although there is concern about the decline of Moringa peregrina stands especially where it is collectedfor firewood, it is not listed in the IUCN Red List.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Djibouti, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Israel, Jordan, North Africa, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Yemen

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

An oil, known as 'ben oil', is obtained from the seed. The oil is used for cooking. The seed contains about 50% oil. It is similar to the oil extracted from the seed of Moringa oleifera. The approximate fatty acid composition of the oil is: palmitic acid 9%, stearic acid 4%, arachidic acid 2%, behenic acid 2%, oleic acid 71%, linoleic acid 1%, and gadoleicacid 2%. The tuber of the young plant is eaten in Yemen and Oman.

Oil: Oil

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

Medicine

Rating: 2

The seeds are used in medicine in the Middle East and Sudan. The oil obtained from the seed is used to treat abdominal pain.

Other

Rating: 3

Agroforestry Uses: A good bee plant. Other Uses: An oil obtained from the seed is used in cosmetics. Traditional methods to extract the oil, as used by the Bedouin, are very simple but yield little oil. The seeds are crushed, water is added and the seeds are boiled. The mixture is left overnight to allow the oil to float to the surface, from where it is skimmed off. In a more advanced method the seeds are crushed, some water is added and the mixture is gently heated for 10 - 15 minutes. The oil is then extracted using a screw press or hydraulic press. The seeds are used as coagulant to purify water. The water purifying properties of the seed are caused by a protein which coagulates dispersed particles. The seeds are ground to a paste, the paste is put in a bottle and water is added. The mixture is shaken for 5 minutes to activate the protein. The mixture is then sieved and the solution is added to turbid water. After slowly stirring for 20 minutes, fine particles including bacteria coagulate, sink and settle on the bottom. After one hour clear water can be drawn off. The wood is very succulent and therefore not used for construction. The wood is collected for fuel in the southern Sinai, but it has now become scarce.

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

Filter: Used to strain out particles from liquids.

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.

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

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: 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.

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

How it is grown

A plant of the arid tropics. Young seedlings have broad leaflets and form a large tuber. The plant will often only produce herbaceous growth when young, especially in dry years, dying back to ground level in the dry season. Once the tuber is large enough, the growth above ground will become woody and persist. The first fruits are produced about 3 years after planting. The plant grows quickly from both seeds and cuttings; 3 - 4 metres of annual increase in height is not unusual when adequate moisture is available. Pollarding or pruning following harvesting is recommended to promote branching. This increases pod production and facilitates harvesting as the tree is kept at a manageable height. A single tree may produce up to 1,000 seedpods per year.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a nursery seedbed in light shade. Transplanting 5-month-old seedlings gave good survival rates. Cuttings - branches 100 - 150cm long have been used as cuttings and these have performed well.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Medium

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

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Moringa, Miracle tree, Ben tree, wispy-needled yasar tree, wild drum-stick tree

Synonyms

Hyperanthera peregrina Forssk. Moringa aptera Gaertn.

Moringa Moringa peregrina