Common Name:

General Information

Moringa drouhardii is a deciduous tree that usually grows 5 - 10 metres tall, occasionally to 18 metres. The bole is swollen to facilitate the storge of water and is usually mainly unbranched with short branches near the top[].
The tree is often harvested for local use as a medicine and source of oil. The plant is often grown for its useful properties in Madagascar. The excellent qualities of the oil in cosmetic and medicinal products and its adaptation to very dry conditions deserve further research into the possibilities of domestication and utilization in small-scale industries[]. It is often the only tree left standing when the vegetation is cleared for pasture[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - southwest Madagascar.

Habitat

Very dry forests, often on calcareous soils[, ].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	8.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of dry to very dry areas, growing where the mean annual rainfall can be as low as 200mm and very unreliable[]. Completely dry years are not uncommon[].
Found wild on calcareous soils[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant.
Growth of young trees can be very fast if there is adequate moisture, allowing the plants to occupy open spaces in the forest. In cultivation it grows at a rate of more than 1 metre per year[].
Trees start bearing 3 years after planting when they have reached a height of 3 - 4 metres[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The seeds yield an oil that is used as a medicinal massage oil[].

The very strongly scented bark and wood are used for the treatment of colds and coughs[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is often planted on field boundaries[].

Other Uses

The seeds yield an oil that is used as a base for cosmetic products and as a medicinal massage oil[].
The oil is odourless, tasteless and does not become rancid in storage, making it an excellent base in perfumery and pharmacology[]. It was formerly used as a base-oil in enfleurage to extract fragrant volatile compounds from flowers[]. The seed contains 36 - 45% oil; the approximate fatty acid composition of the oil is: palmitic acid 8%, stearic acid 9%, oleic acid 74%, linoleic acid 1%, arachidic acid 3%, behenic acid 3%[].

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[].

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