Possible new plant for using?

[jonpat83]

Has anyone tried using Moringa oleifera? I do not know it's common name or even if it has one but I was reading about it yesterday and it's leaves are edible and highly nutritious for humans, it is even being tried out to combat malnutrition in some parts of Africa.
The average analysis per 100g is:
Protien 29g
Fat 8g
Carbohydrates 38g
Fiber 10g
Calcium 1924mg
Phosphorus 267mg
Vitamin A 15620iu
Vitamin c 773mg

It is an attractive looking plant and would be nice if there was something else we could use in our enclosures. Definately a good calcium to phosphorus ratio and safe for humans and also good for farm livestock.

 

[kenya]

Sounds great! Here is a profile on it and a few places I have found it for sale.

Profile, seeds and 3-5 foot plants for sale: http://toptropicals.com/cgi-bin/garden_catalog/cat.cgi?uid=Moringa_oleifera

Seeds: http://echobooks.org/product_info.php?products_id=654

It is commonly called simply Moringa but is also known as the horseradish tree or ben oil tree. It can be bonsaied but will grow to about 25' if left alone. All bits of it are not only edible, but rather nutritious.

Sounds like a perfect cham tree!

 

[dodolah]

the only problem is will it survive in the cage?
Let us know the result if you decide to use it..

 

[jonpat83]

I've ordered seeds and shall give them a go and let you all know. I hope they do well because they are quite ferny looking and also flower nicely. The guy I heard about them from grows 2 in his conservatory just as display plants so I think they should do ok indoors, fingers crossed!

 

[jonpat83]

Here is some info I found which definately sounds good.


'Native originally to the Himalayan foothills of northern India, the horseradish tree can be found widely planted throughout the tropical areas of the world. Nutritionally, ounce for ounce, powdered Moringa leaves have seven times the vitamin C of oranges, four times the calcium of milk, three times the potassium of bananas, four times the vitamin A of carrots and two times the protein of milk. The one to four foot long pods lend the plant the common name of drumstick tree. They are also high in nutritional value and can be cooked like green beans when young.
The Horseradish tree is fast growing, up to ten feet the first year, and matures at a height of thirty-five feet, but it will bloom the first year from seed. Tip pruning will encourage more leaf and fruit production and control its size and hence able to be pot grown. It has drooping branches with alternate, fern-like leaves, 9"-24" long, the 1" wide, white fragrant flowers are borne in loose clusters in the leaf axils. The pods are narrow, round, pointed growing to 18" long.'

 

[dodolah]

why don't you buy the tree? growing from a seed seems to be labor intensive.
the more I read about it the more i am intrigued.
I love the fact that the leaves has an anti parasitic quality.
I would glad to see my veiled nibbled the leaves.

One concern is the high potassium content.
I think Kristina, in one of her thread, mentioned about chameleons with seizure and its connection with abnormal potassium and K in her chameleons.
I need to reread the thread again to make sure.

 

[jonpat83]

I decided to start with seeds so that I could have lots of plants then they could get regularly swapped and rested from the chams. I have also planted dandelion, collards, chicory, mustard and endive which I am going to put into mixed pots and grow them in the chams enclosures. Some of my chams love eating their plants but never eat any greens that I put in their enclosures for them as they wither before they are noticed. I thought if I grow a good selection in there for them then they can just help themselves and the greens will always stay fresh rather than withered. Any feeder bugs that don't get eaten straight away will also get lots of goodness in there tummies too