SPECIES· Moringaceae

Ben oil tree

Moringa oleifera Lam.

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LocalLocal names & traditional uses

Fast-growing tree native to the Indian subcontinent, nicknamed the 'miracle tree' for its nutritional leaves.

India · Hindi

Sahjan / Munaga

cooking · diabetes

India · Tamil

Murungai

Philippines · Tagalog

Malunggay

lactation · soup ingredient

Nigeria · Yoruba

Ewe igbale / Idagbo monoye

Nigeria · Hausa

Zogale

Kenya · Swahili

Mlonge

Ethiopia · Amharic

Shiferaw

Senegal · Wolof

Nébédaye

Traditional benefits

Leaves are rich in vitamins A, C, calcium, iron and protein
Traditionally used for hypertension, diabetes and inflammation
Seeds used to purify drinking water

Sourced from open ethnobotanical references. Not medical advice.

Uses & benefits

How people around the world use this plant, and why it matters.

nutrition
Valued locally for nutrition.
hypertension
Valued locally for hypertension.

Traditional uses are recorded for education. Always speak to a qualified health worker before using any plant as a treatment, especially for children or during pregnancy.

Health benefits

What communities traditionally use Ben oil tree for, and why it may help.

hypertension
Used in traditional practice to help keep blood pressure and circulation steady; often high in potassium and antioxidants.
nutrition
A useful everyday source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that support general immunity.

Herbal remedies & preparation

The common ways plant parts are prepared at home. Always wash material well and use clean water.

Infusion (tea)
Pour hot water over a handful of fresh or dried leaves or flowers, cover for 5–10 minutes, then strain. Used for gentle, aromatic parts.
Decoction
Simmer tougher parts — bark, roots, seeds or stems — in water for 15–30 minutes, then strain. This draws out compounds that a quick tea cannot.
Poultice / compress
Crush washed fresh leaves (or warm them briefly) and hold them against the skin with a clean cloth. Traditionally used on bruises, boils and slow-healing cuts.
Juice or extract
Blend or pound the fresh part and squeeze out the liquid through a clean cloth. Best used the same day; refrigerate briefly if needed.
Powder
Dry the part in shade until brittle, grind it, then store in an airtight jar away from light. Stirred into food, pap or water by the spoonful.
Steam inhalation
Add leaves to a bowl of just-boiled water, lean over it with a towel over the head and breathe gently. Traditionally used for blocked noses and coughs.
Infused oil or ointment
Steep dried material in a carrier oil (coconut, shea, olive) for days in gentle warmth, then strain. Applied to dry or irritated skin.

In the kitchen

How Ben oil tree is cooked and eaten.

Nuts, seeds and pulses
Roasted as snacks, ground into pastes and soup thickeners, fermented into condiments, or boiled as a protein-rich side.

Safety first. Identify the plant with certainty, start with small amounts, and avoid mixing herbs with prescribed medicine without advice. Do not use herbal remedies for children, in pregnancy, or for serious illness without a qualified health worker.

Community uses, recipes & remedies

Disclaimer: Community posts are the personal opinions and experiences of their authors. They are not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional before using any plant as a remedy.

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In depth

Simple Facts

Short, clear explanations — great for homework and school projects.

Ben oil tree is a plant. Plants make their own food from sunlight, water and air.
Its scientific name is “Moringa oleifera”. Every species has one, so people everywhere know exactly which one you mean.
Scientists put it in the Moringaceae family, inside the order Brassicales — a group of relatives that share features.
Its genus (closest relatives) is Moringa.
Higher up, it belongs to Magnoliopsida → Tracheophyta → Plantae.
People use it for nutrition, hypertension.
Other names people call it: Acácia-branca, Ben oil tree, Benboom, Benzoil tree, Brenoli.
You can find it in places like Caribbean, North America, Cape Verde Isl. [I] (Santo Antao Isl. [I], Sal Isl. [I], Ilha de Maio [I], Ilha de Sao Tiago [I], Fogo Isl. [I]); Gambia [I]; Guinea [I]; Mali [I]; Burkina Faso [I]; Togo [I]; Benin [I]; Cameroon [I]; Central African Republic [I]; S-Chad [I]; Sudan [I]; South Sudan [I]; Somalia [I]; Angola [I]; Zimbabwe [I]; Mozambique [I]; Botswana [I]; Madagascar [I]; Mozambique Channel Isl. [Îles Éparses] [c] (Île Europa [c], Juan de Nova Isl. [c]); Mauritius [I]; La Réunion [I]; Rodrigues [I]; Îles Glorieuses [c]; Seychelles [I]; Oman [I]; Yemen [I]; Ryukyu Isl. [I]; E-Pakistan (Sind [I], Rawalpindi, Pakistani Punjab); Nepal; Bhutan [I]; India (Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim); Lakshadweep Isl. [Laccadives] [I]; Maldives [I]; Sri Lanka [I]; Bangladesh; Andaman Isl. [I]; Nicobar Isl. [I]; Myanmar [I]; Thailand [I]; Laos [I]; Cambodia [I]; Vietnam [I]; Borneo [I]; Philippines [I]; Java [I]; Lesser Sunda Isl. [c] (Bali [c]); Moluccas [I]; Christmas Isl. [Austr.] [I]; New Guinea [I]; Australia [I] (Queensland [I]); New Caledonia [I]; Vanuatu [I]; Niue [I]; Fiji [I]; Society Isl. [I] (Tahiti [I], Raiatea [I]); Palau [I] (Koror [I], Namoluk [I], Pohnpei [I]); Northern Marianas [I] (Saipan [I], Rota [I]); Guam [I]; USA [I] (Florida [I]); Mexico [I]; Guatemala [I]; Belize [I]; El Salvador [I]; Honduras [I]; Nicaragua [I]; Costa Rica [I]; Panama [I]; Bahamas [I]; Cuba [I]; Cayman Isl. [I]; Jamaica [I]; Hispaniola [I]; Puerto Rico [I]; Virgin Isl. [I] (St. Croix [I], St. John [I], St. Thomas [I], Tortola [I], Virgin Gorda [I]); St. Martin/St. Maarten [I]; St. Barthélémy [I]; Saba [I]; St. Eustatius [I]; St. Kitts [I]; Antigua [I]; Montserrat [I]; Guadeloupe [I]; Martinique [I]; St. Lucia [I]; Grenadines [I]; Grenada [I]; Barbados [I]; Trinidad & Tobago [I]; Bonaire [I]; Curacao [I]; Colombia [I]; Isla Margarita [I]; Venezuela [I]; Bolivia [I]; Brazil [c], Montería | Yopal, Aldabra.
Conservation experts list it as least concern.
Plants like this one give off oxygen, hold soil together and feed insects, birds and people.

Videos

Watch documentaries, uses and preparation guides on YouTube.

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Descriptions

native range

Asia

Source: The checklist of alien seed plants of D.R. Congo, based on evidence from herbarium collections

life form

Shrub

Source: The checklist of alien seed plants of D.R. Congo, based on evidence from herbarium collections

Rango de elevación

35 - 1050 msnm

Source: Especies introducidas, exóticas, trasplantadas, invasoras y potencialmente invasoras obtenidas a partir de fuentes primarias y secundarias, incorporadas en el diagnóstico del Plan Nacional de Prevención, Control y Manejo

Región de Colombia

Andina | Caribe | Insular

El taxón es huésped

FALSO

El taxón es salobre

FALSO

Distribution

Caribbean North America Cape Verde Isl. [I] (Santo Antao Isl. [I], Sal Isl. [I], Ilha de Maio [I], Ilha de Sao Tiago [I], Fogo Isl. [I]); Gambia [I]; Guinea [I]; Mali [I]; Burkina Faso [I]; Togo [I]; Benin [I]; Cameroon [I]; Central African Republic [I]; S-Chad [I]; Sudan [I]; South Sudan [I]; Somalia [I]; Angola [I]; Zimbabwe [I]; Mozambique [I]; Botswana [I]; Madagascar [I]; Mozambique Channel Isl. [Îles Éparses] [c] (Île Europa [c], Juan de Nova Isl. [c]); Mauritius [I]; La Réunion [I]; Rodrigues [I]; Îles Glorieuses [c]; Seychelles [I]; Oman [I]; Yemen [I]; Ryukyu Isl. [I]; E-Pakistan (Sind [I], Rawalpindi, Pakistani Punjab); Nepal; Bhutan [I]; India (Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim); Lakshadweep Isl. [Laccadives] [I]; Maldives [I]; Sri Lanka [I]; Bangladesh; Andaman Isl. [I]; Nicobar Isl. [I]; Myanmar [I]; Thailand [I]; Laos [I]; Cambodia [I]; Vietnam [I]; Borneo [I]; Philippines [I]; Java [I]; Lesser Sunda Isl. [c] (Bali [c]); Moluccas [I]; Christmas Isl. [Austr.] [I]; New Guinea [I]; Australia [I] (Queensland [I]); New Caledonia [I]; Vanuatu [I]; Niue [I]; Fiji [I]; Society Isl. [I] (Tahiti [I], Raiatea [I]); Palau [I] (Koror [I], Namoluk [I], Pohnpei [I]); Northern Marianas [I] (Saipan [I], Rota [I]); Guam [I]; USA [I] (Florida [I]); Mexico [I]; Guatemala [I]; Belize [I]; El Salvador [I]; Honduras [I]; Nicaragua [I]; Costa Rica [I]; Panama [I]; Bahamas [I]; Cuba [I]; Cayman Isl. [I]; Jamaica [I]; Hispaniola [I]; Puerto Rico [I]; Virgin Isl. [I] (St. Croix [I], St. John [I], St. Thomas [I], Tortola [I], Virgin Gorda [I]); St. Martin/St. Maarten [I]; St. Barthélémy [I]; Saba [I]; St. Eustatius [I]; St. Kitts [I]; Antigua [I]; Montserrat [I]; Guadeloupe [I]; Martinique [I]; St. Lucia [I]; Grenadines [I]; Grenada [I]; Barbados [I]; Trinidad & Tobago [I]; Bonaire [I]; Curacao [I]; Colombia [I]; Isla Margarita [I]; Venezuela [I]; Bolivia [I]; Brazil [c]Montería | Yopal Aldabra Andaman Is.Angola Arizona Assam Bahamas Bangladesh Benin Burkina California Cambodia Cameroon Cape Verde Caroline Is.Cayman Is.Central African Republic Chad Chagos Archipelago China South-Central China Southeast Christmas I.Costa Rica Cuba DR Congo Djibouti Dominican Republic East Himalaya El Salvador Eritrea Ethiopia Fiji Florida Gambia Ghana

Synonyms

Anoma moringa (L.) Lour.Guilandia moringa L.Guilandina moringa L.Hyperanthera decandra Willd.Hyperanthera moringa (L.) VahlHyperanthera pterygosperma (Gaertn.) OkenMoringa amara DurinMoringa domestica Buch.-Ham.Moringa edulis Medik.Moringa eracta Salisb.Moringa erecta Salisb.Moringa moringa (L.) Millsp.Moringa moringa (L.) SmallMoringa nux-eben Desf.Moringa octogona StokesMoringa parvifolia NoronhaMoringa polygona DC.Moringa pterygosperma Gaertn.Moringa robusta BojerMoringa sylvestris Buch.-Ham.

Common Names

Language

Acácia-branca(por)Ben oil tree(eng)BenboomBenzoil tree(eng)BrenoliBrède médaille(fra)Bènbòm(eng)Chùm ngây(vie)Drumstick Tree(eng)Horse-Radish Tree(eng)Horseradish tree(eng)HorseradishtreeHorseradishtree(eng)Kelor(ind)LibertatMalunggay(tgl)MalungkaiMarango(spa)MarengoMeerrettichbaum(deu)MeerrettichbaumMerengueMiracle Tree(eng)MoringaMoringa(spa)Moringa Tree(eng)Moringa de la India(spa)Moringo(eng)MoringueMorongue(fra)Morongue à huile(fra)Morongue à huile, Brède fin de mois, Brède médaille, Brède morongue, Mouroungue(fra)Morongue à huile, Morongue(fra)Mrongo(swa)MvungeMvungeNéverdier(fra)OrengaOrseliOrselli(eng)PferderettichbaumSalasterSohanjna(pan)West Indian ben(eng)West Indian ben(eng)Yerba di Canceracácia-branca(por)arbol-de-las-pedras(spa)ben(spa)ben ailée(fra)

References

GBIF entry
Encyclopedia of Life
iNaturalist
Piedrahita Idárraga, A., Urrea, L. M., Roldán Palacio, F. J., & Cardona Naranjo, F. A. (2016). Flora del Magdalena Medio áreas de influencia de la central térmica Termocentro. Medellín, Colombia: ISAGEN – Universidad de Antioquia, Herbario Universidad de Antioquia

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