Moringa oleifera is the most common of all of the Moringa genus. The Moringa are the only members of the Moringaceae family. Moringa oleifera has many common names such as the Miracle Tree (for the high nutrient content and said healing powers), Horseradish Tree (for the root flavor, often compared to horseradish), Drumstick Tree (for the slender seedpods) , Benoil and Benzoil Tree (for the oils derived from the seeds).
According to tradition in parts of Africa (especially Ghana), the "Miracle Tree" and it's products have been used for generations. The leaves are extremely high in nutrient value and are said to have natural healing powers. The seed pods and leaves are eaten as a vegetable in many native areas and are used as an ingredient in herbal medicines. Not only does the Moringa oleifera's products contain high nutrient values it can also be used for water purification purposes.
Image Citation: Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org
This fast growing deciduous tree can reach a height of 32-40 feet with a diameter of just 1.5 feet. The whitish-grey bark is surrounded by a thick cork. The young shoots have purplish or greenish-white hairy bark. The open crown contains drooping, fragile branches and leathery tripinnate leaves. The fragrant flowers are bisexual and contain five unequal yellow-white petals. In cooler regions the flowers only appear once a year in April-June, however in warmer regions with high rainfall they can appear twice a year or even year round. They appear on hairy stalks in spreading clusters that are 10-25 cm long. The fruit occurs in brown three sided capsules containing dark brown seeds winged seeds that are dispersed by wind and water. When cultivated as a crop it is cut back annually to allow the pods and leaved to remain within reach.
Image Citation: Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org
The Moringa oleifera is the main focus of Moringa Connect, a program that provides registered farmers with seeds and resulting manure for crop expansion and harvesting purposes. It is also planted as part of the Feed The Future program, Feed The Future is a United States Government Global Hunger & Food Security Initiative that is currently focused in 19 countries. These programs along with the help of volunteers (including Peace Corp Members, Private and Corporate Sectors) allow areas that are otherwise void of reliable / nutritional food sources to be planted with a resource that will continually produce and reproduce to provide nutritional food for generations to come.
To learn more about how you can volunteer or donate to these amazing programs (Moringa Connect or Feed The Future) visit http://moringaconnect.com/ or http://www.feedthefuture.gov/
You can also meet more trees at www.ArundelTreeService.com or Follow Our Blog www.MeetATree.com
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