Moringa hildebrandtii

Engl.

Hildebrandt's moringa

Moringaceae Edible: Seeds - oil 18 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Moringa hildebrandtii, or Hildebrandt's moringa, is a tree species with a massive, water-storing trunk in the family Moringaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar, where it is extinct in the wild, but preserved by indigenous horticulture practices. The plant originally was thought to grow along the west coast of Madagascar, but ethnobotany data suggest it in fact grew in the island's extreme southwest.

Description

A tree. It grows 20 m tall. The trunk can store water. The leaves can be 1 m long. The flowers are white. The fruit is 50 cm long and contains 6-12 large nut-like seeds.

Edible Uses

Oil is extracted from the seeds.

Medicinal Uses

The pulpy wood is commonly harvested for medicinal use.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant.

Where It Grows

Madagascar,

Cultivation

A plant of the dry tropics, often surviving in very arid conditions. Requires a position in full sun. Requires a well-drained soil. Established plants are very drought tolerant.

Propagation

Seed - sown in a fertile soil in a lightly shaded position in a nursery seedbed. Germination is usually easy and the seedlings straightforward to grow. During the dry season seedlings can be transplanted into the field without irrigation, even into dry places with poor soil.