Moringa is a beautiful fast-growing medium sized tree that is also a fierce power bloomer. 
Moringa Oleifera locally known as Malunggay is considered one of the most beneficial trees in the world. From the foothills of the Himalayas to the shores of the Philippines, Moringa is actively cultivated as nutritional food. Dubbed as the “Miracle Plant,” nearly every part of the Moringa can be eaten for food and other beneficial properties. In fact, there is a huge global industry devoted to selling Moringa extracts via pills and liquid refreshments. Even the green pods are consumed and are said to taste like asparagus. You can also pick green seeds and treat them like garden peas. Or, dry pods are opened and the seeds toasted. The flowers are eaten cooked and taste like mushrooms. Since I got to know the wonderful properties of Malunggay, I use it in lieu of the more traditional chili leaves (“dahon ng sili”) in the Filipino dish, Tinolang Manok.
Moringa leaves are super nutritious. Claims include 7 times the vitamin C of oranges, 4 times the vitamin A of carrots, 4 times the calcium of milk and twice the protein, and 3 times the potassium of bananas Even the roots are eaten. Moringa roots taste like horseradish (root) hence it’s common name used in Florida, Horseradish Tree.
It is also known to be the best nutritional support for nursing mothers because it is not only rich in nutritional content but for its medicinal properties as well. By making vegetable soup out from fresh Moringa leaves, it has been found to increase the volume of breastmilk produced by lactating mothers. Another established medicinal property of Moringa Olfeira is its anti bacterial action. French scientists had found that Moringa contains an anti bacterial peptide (a molecule composed of two or more amino acids, the building blocks of proteins) that can destroy the cell membrane of many infectious bacteria.
Aside from its nutritional and health benefits of Moringa, through its seeds it has the full potential of producing biofuel, cooking oil, personal care products, cosmetics, aromatheraphy, perfume, industrial oil and lubricants. Its oil is comparable to sunflower and olive oil. It is much better than palm oil in terms of properties, for it has a low transfatty acids. Twelve kilograms of moringa seeds one liter of oil can be extracted and about eight and a half kilograms of cake among others as by products.
A nice shady tree for the streets of Metro Manila.
Moringa is a beautiful fast-growing medium sized tree that is also a power bloomer. Fragrant white flowers with yellow throats are seen most of the year in great masses. Moringa is tough and drought resistant. They are not only nice but most importantly beneficial trees. I wish they could be planted in the streets of Metro Manila instead of the plants and trees that we now have.
Fragrant white flowers with yellow throats are seen most of the year in great masses.
