This is supposedly an extinct in the wild species of Moringa from Madagascar. Was wondering if anyone had more info on it, particularly if its leaves/pods are edible? I know Moringa Oleifera are, but not sure if the whole genus can be (although it appears many species can be, including a different Madgascar species).
If anyone had any personal experience with it (or other Moringas), that’d be cool to hear about too. Like growing or seeing somewhere.
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Alright, so I have been growing this species for about 6 months now, so time for some observations.
Seeds are about the size of a small walnut/chestnut, probably about 3 to 4 times of a regular moringa seed. Of my 6, 5 germinated. No stratification or scarification necessary, although I did soak in water overnight. They sprout very differently compared to m. Oleifera.
The first picture is m. Oleifera sprouting, the second is m. hildebrandtii. As you can see, oleifera comes up without any seed leaves (cotyledons I think) while hildebrandtii does. Hildebrandtii also sprouts at a much more vigorous pace (both pictures were taken around 2 days from first soil emergence). Its height and instability upon first sprouting leads me to believe that the seeds should probably be buried deeper, as it did not have enough support in the pots I orginally had them in.
As far as young plants growing, there is not much difference between the two. They seem to share the fact that when grown in pots, their growth gets stunted significently, but the hildebrandtii’s roots have not escaped into the ground once, while I have to constantly move my oleifera to avoid this. I planted my first hildebrandtii in ground last month to test its cold tolerence and to see if its growth rate speeds up once planted like oleifera’s does. Will report back sometime just before the rainy season about that (or when it dies if it dies). Both species dislike the cool weather we are having right now, and disliking the dry season even more.
The taller one in the first picture and the two on the top in the second are Hildebrandtii. Physically, they have a slightly thicker trunk at the same height, and their leaves are more pointed/oval shape. Similar taste from the leaves, although a bit milder. The taste will probably change with time, as my potted oleiferas are more mild then my much larger in ground one. I gave them all a small amount epsom salt and bloodmeal since they appear to be a little nutrient difficent.
Hopefully I’ll have a few more of them in ground next spring, but for now thats all I got.
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Post-winter height comparison. Hildebrandtii continues to grow at least double the pace of oleifera. It is probably a half a centimeter thicker at all heights. My inground Hildebrandtii is pontentially dead, it defioliated and has gridle marks across its trunk. They seem to be less drought tolerant, but around the same cold tolerence.
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i read it is not edible. i have a hard time germinating moringa.
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Where did you read that? Everywhere I’ve looked has at least said the leaves are edible. I can imagine the seeds being not ideal to be eaten, they are like 4 times the size of regular moringa. The fruit is probably not edible for the same reason. The leaves have more nuttiness but less pepperyness than common moringa. At least for my nibble taste test just now.
I soak the moringa seeds until the papery husk comes off than plant them. Thats the only way I’ve got them to germinate consistantly. Without taking the husk off, I have had 0% germination. (For common moringa, Hildebrandtii had no paper husk, it looked almost like a walnut).
that’s what i read, i have never heard of anyone growing it and eating it. maybe because it’s rare to find and most people don’t know about that variety, i don’t know. but if it’s edible, that’s good!
i tried soaking and removing the papery husk, i think the seeds i got were just old, i read they have to be germinated from seeds no older than 6 months.
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I have such terrible luck with Moringa. The seeds germinate easy for me, but they struggle to become vigorous. For something I wanted as a chop and drop that isnt ideal. I have tried in ground, in pots; whatever they never come back in spring no matter the level of protection.
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My inground common moringa is very tempermental. It drops all of its leaves except its newest ones at any sort of environmental change. And it grows, but not as fast as people have told me. It tastes good, but it has been a disappointing chop and drop tree. My pigeon peas have been way better for that.
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