Moringa: A Must-Have Backyard Plant

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The second cultural plant I presented at the Vallejo People's Garden in celebration of Filipino American Heritage Month last October was the Moringa. According to Linkedin.com Global Moringa Trends 2023, “Moringa is one crop that's been receiving plenty of attention from Australia to Zambia, from UNO to World Bank, and from researchers and entrepreneurs who are delving deeper into the natural properties of Moringa crops, as it stocks for everything for every industry from food, feed, fuel, fertilizer, medicine pharma, and cosmetic, etc. The Global market for the disease-fighting Moringa superfood may cross USD 20 Billion by 2030. The demand for Moringa-based products has driven the industry's production and sales.”

If there is one plant that every garden must have, I believe Malunggay should be at the top of the gardener's list.

Moringaolefeira is the Botanical name of the plant from its family name:Moringaceae. Called Moringa in the US, it is known in 82 countries by 210 different names, including Horseradish Tree, Miracle Tree, Malunggay, and Drumstick Tree. The plant's geographic origin is India, and its ecozone origin is Indomalaya.

The plant is called Malunggay in the Philippines, and its fruits and leaves are eaten as vegetables. It is also found and eaten as a vegetable in Southeast Asian countries.

Moringa is a fast-growing plant that grows into a tree and, at maturity, can reach 20-50 feet. In the Philippines, the tree is always grown in the provinces, but the last time I was in the old country last year, Malunggay found its way into the suburban backyards of homes in different cities. I even saw Moringa trees growing on roadsides. That's how prolific and plentiful it grows in the 7,641 islands of the Philippines.

Plant Characteristics:

Plants: 1-10 m to 40 cm diameter

Grow Season: Spring

Flower Season: Summer

Hardy: Tender

Water Use: Low water use

Roots: Tuberous when young, woody with age

Bark: Pale tan or gray, smooth

Stems: Often cane-like like becoming pendent or hanging with age

Leaves: Pungent odor of horseradish; 30-60 cm; leaflets on 4-8 pairs of pinnae; pinnae largest at near base of leaf, 2 or 3 pinnate; blades bright to dark green

Flowers: Yellow color; sweet-scented 2-3 cm

Seeds: pale to dark brown globular; 3-winged. Flowering when leafless at the end of the dry season; fruiting as leaves emerges.

Cultivation:

Prefers well-drained loamy or sandy loam with pH balance of 5-9.
Moringa plants can be cultivated from seeds and cuttings.
If started from seed, plant about an inch down in the soil anytime during the year; do not expose to extreme temperatures. Confession: I made a mistake of leaving my growing moringa plant (knee-high tall in a container) outside during the wintertime when we visited the Philippines a few years ago. When I got back before Spring, the plant was wilted and dead. I should have known better. Mea culpa, mea culpa.
The plant does not need supplemental water once established.
If started from cuttings, cut 3-7 foot cuttings and plant in the ground between June and August. I planted mine in a container.

Growing Tips:

Moringa grows in semi-arid tropical and sub-tropical areas.
It grows best in temperatures between 77-95F; it will tolerate 118F in the shade.
Moringa can only grow outdoors and possibly year- round in places like the southern parts of FL, AZ, CA, and TX.
In cooler climates, moringa can be grown indoors, outdoors as an annual, or in greenhouses.
Moringa yields best under warm, dry conditions with some supplemental compost and irrigation.
Pollarding, coppicing, and lopping or pruning are recommended to promote branching, increase production, and facilitate harvesting.

CULINARY USES:

The fruits of the Moringa, young seed pods, called drumsticks are used as vegetables.
Moringa leaves are cooked and used like spinach and are commonly dried and crushed into a powder used in soups and sauces.
Filipinos use moringa leaves in cooking hearty meals like chicken tinola, mongo and corn soups. Bakeries also add moringa powder as an ingredient in baking Pan de Sal, a staple Filipino breakfast bread. I have made Moringa sourdough bread and brought it to my Tai Chi group to enjoy with tea during the cold winter months and everyone loved it with a slap of butter!

At the Vallejo People's Garden, two moringa plants are growing in two big containers. Seeing them growing in the garden brings a big smile to my face.

Bibliography

Linked.com: The Trends Shaping the Moringa World in 2023

Moringa Information Sheet, The University of Arizona Campus Arboretum

https://trees forlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_oleifera

Email Response to Request for Information on Moringa by Jane Auerbach, Master Gardener, Los Angeles County and FAQ Moderator, UCANR website

Email Response to Request for Information on Moringa by Steve Sanguinetti, FAQ Moderator, UCANR website.

http://ceventura.ucanr.edu/?blogpost=26191&blogasset=19305

https:www.kqed.org/news/11644126/small-farmers-in-fresno-hope-for-big-moringa-payoff

photos by Elvira Deleon