PlantFiles: Drumstick Tree, Horseradish Tree, Ben Oil Tree,
Moringa oleifera

Some of the best info on this tree comes from ECHO in Ft. Myers, FL (www.echotech.org). I have been growing Moringa oleifera and M. stenopetala since 2002, and a friend has several trees near Pt. Harcourt, Nigeria. Here are some facts:

Growing from seed: Soak seeds overnight before planting. Seeds can be started indoors, but must be moved outdoors as soon as practical. The seedlings grow tall and thin, and need wind to strengthen the trunk, lest they fall over. Seedlings and young trees are a favorite browse for deer and other herbivores, and so must be protected. Seed sown directly in the ground produces a very deep taproot, which will continue until enough water/moisture is reached, even at the expense of not growing the trunk or leaves. Because of this taproot, the tree is very drought-resistant, once established, and will recover even from a hard freeze (hence one of its names, the "Never-Die" Tree). However, container trees can be killed by 8 hours @ 26 degrees. Trees often grow 15 feet the first year, and may reach a maximum height of 65 feet. The wood is brittle, so the trees should not be planted near houses, where a limb might break off in the wind.

Pods: Small pods eaten green, as green beans. For middle-sized pods, before the seeds distort the pod, take the seeds and use them as cooked beans, or roast them, as with peanuts; the seeds have a peanutty flavor. For old, mature pods, take the dry seeds, dehull them and grind them into an extremely nutritious flour.

The mature, dried seeds of M. oleifera yield what was considered the finest watchmaking quality lubricant available. The purified and strained oil is of very fine quality and does not gum or turn rancid. Only modern synthetic oils approach "Ben Oil" (or "Benzoil") in quality.

For water purification, take 1 to 1.5 seeds which haved matured and dried on the tree per 1 Quart of water. Grind the seed(s) into powder and add them to the water. Shake well. Allow to stand minimum 4 hours in direct sunlight. Carefully pour off resultant clean water and boil, as a secondary measure.

Flowers: Edible, and one of the best sources of nectar for Honeybees; highly recommended tree for beekeepers.

Leaves: One of the best - if not *the* best - sources of plant-based nutrition. Strip leaves off and remove as much stem as possible (it does not soften with cooking, reminding the diner of chewing on fine wire). Leaves can be eaten raw, used in salads, boiled (the water is nutritious), baked, stir-fried or used in any recipe calling for Spinach (although M. oleifera leaves are about 11 times more nutritious than Spinach!).

Root: The young taproot may be harvested and the covering scraped off for use as a Horseradish substitute (although I personally value my trees too highly to kill them for their roots!) The raw mature leaves may also, upon occasion, have quite a spicy Horseradish tang to them.

One funny thing M. oleifera trees may do: The trees usually begin to bloom at 18 months, plus or minus. The first time they begin to bloom, the branches on some trees may become very flexible, almost rubbery, even to the point of being able to tie the branch into a loose knot. If your branches do so, and you do not want this behavior, stake upright until they have bloomed and set pods. You may also be able to re-form the branch by hand sufficiently to make it stand on its own.

Care: M. oleifera prefers Full/Partial Sun and may be planted as little as 1 foot apart to make a living, harvestable fence. Unless grown as a specimen, the trees should be cut back to 3 feet once they reach 6-9 feet; the trunk will branch profusely, and these branches should be pinched or pruned when they reach 12-18 inches length.

M. oleifera will tolerate many other plants to be grown close to it, as apparently it uses nutrients other plants do not. The single exception I have found to this is that Waterleaf (Talinum triangulare) will cause Moringa spp. (and many other plants) to fail. Waterleaf is a good food plant in its own right, but should be grown away from other garden plants.

One cautionary note: The leaves of a close relative, M. stenopetala, are larger and easier to harvest, although they are not as nutritionally complete as those of M. oleifera. The leaves of M. stenopetala should not be eaten as a steady diet because of a higher amount of hydrocyanic acid in the leaves; health problems have been documented where M. stenopetala is the principle dietary food.

This tree is growing in my neighbors back yard. It has been there for about 15 years with no die back. It is about 30 feet tall and the trunk is about 20 inches in diameter. The only problem is the root system is large and tends to destroy plumbing pipes in the area. It needs a large area to grow away from any water sources which the roots seem to seek out.

mia01 31 aug 06 Karachi

I agree with 8900. This tree really has many gifts for mankind : not only can the tender leaves, buds and flowers be cooked and eaten, but the bean also is said to have healing properties to help sufferers of arthritis. The tender beans are boiled in water and if this water is strained and drunk regularly, it is said to relieve the pain of arthritis and even prevent it. The only drawback of this tree is the mess it generates, leaf seed and flowers fall so profusely that no sooner is it cleared that it needs clearing all over again!

This is a quote from the book: Living Big by Pam Grout, pg. 94. "Take world hunger,
for example. Balbir Mathur, a Wichita, Kansas businessman, has found a tree, a simple
tree with leaves so nutritious that it almost sounds like a magic potion. The leaves of
the drumstick tree, as the tree is called, have 7 times as much vitamin C as an
orange, 3 times as much potassium as a banana, and 4 times as much vitamin A
as a carrot. One tree can practically wipe out world hunger in a small village in a
developing country.
Not only that, but its seeds can purify water, its bark and roots are also
edible, and it grows easily and quickly in poor soil.
Since l984, Mathus has planted 30 million drumstick trees in impoverished
countries around the world. As Mathur says, "Miracles still happen, but it's people
who cause miracles."
I lived in Mazatlan, Mexico and these trees were around. At the time I did not
know these properties, but that area was tropical and they grew easily there. The
seed pods would dry out and the children used them for home-made maracas. I
was unaware if the natives knew these uses for them. I didn't see them eat any
part of it, or hear about it. I am very intrigued however! The trees seemed to
grow wild by the side of the road, just about anywhere.

The fruit (i.e. the flesh inside and the seeds), flower, and tender leaves of this tree are edible and commonly used as a vegetable in India.

The bean should be eaten before the seed starts to harden and the flesh loses its sweetness.

This tree had died at least 3 times that I know of from freeze in the last 15 years. It had come back every time and bore fruit. The current property owner had cut down
the tree totally to redo her landscaping. A branch came
out from the old trunk and is now about 16 ft tall bearing
fruit.
There is a newer specie of Moringa available now in the US called the African Moringa, Moringa stenopetala.