Accession Data

Moringa oleifera

Common Name: Horseradish Tree

Family: Moringaceae

Country of Origin: India; widely cultivated in Old World tropics

Description: [Syn. Moringa pterygosperma, M. aptera]

Deciduous tree to about 20 feet; leaves sub-pinnate; flowers yellow, upper petiole whitish. Develops a large caudexed base with age.

Uses: Root is scraped when young and used by the natives as Horseradish as in Europe; leaves are used in vegetable curries and in pickles; unripe pods are used as a curry vegetable, boiled and sliced like beans; flowers and bark are used in native medicine; seeds yield valuable Oil of Ben used in artist's paints, salad oil and soap. Timber suited for pulp for cellophane or rayon.

Recent research indicates some compounds in the seeds and fruit of this plant have a purifying effect on water. Other compounds have been shown to have promising antibiotic activity.

Used externally as a counter irritant, also used as a stimulant to remedy a number of maladies.

Accession Data

USDA Zone: 9-10

Accession #: 199700027

Accession Date: 1997-04-01 00:00:00

Bloom Status: 🪴 Not Flowering

Location: 1205

Quantity: 2

Source: Banana Tree

Classification

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Subclass: eurosid II

Order: Brassicales

Family: Moringaceae

Flowering Data:

This accession has been observed in bloom on:
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005

References

  1. Moringa oleifera. (2013, October 25). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:04, November 4, 2013
  2. Moringa Homepage at MoBot
  3. RHS Dictionary of Gardening, 1984
  4. The Plant Book, Mabberley, 1987
  5. American Chemical Society. "'Miracle tree' substance produces clean drinking water inexpensively and sustainably." ScienceDaily, 18 Jan. 2012. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.
  6. The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Wednesday, September 07, 2016.
  7. Moringa oleifera. (2011, September 27). Wikispecies, . Retrieved 15:06, November 4, 2013
  8. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, 2013-07-01. Accessed on 2013-11-04
  9. Moringa oleifera at ARS-GRIN. Last accessed on Wednesday, September 07, 2016.
  10. Images #00 (cropped) & #01 (original) by Harvey McDaniel from Naalehu, HI (Flickr - image description page) [CC BY 2.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons. Last accessed on Tuesday, August 14, 2018.

Images

Moringa oleifera
Moringa oleifera