Family: Moringaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Moringa peregrina (bentree, wild drumstick tree) is a drought-tolerant tree native to a wide region spanning Egypt, northeastern tropical Africa, Syria, and the Arabian Peninsula. It typically grows in dry, rocky landscapes and is well adapted to hot, arid climates. The tree has slender branches, delicate compound leaves, and produces elongated seed pods similar to its better-known relative, Moringa oleifera. In its native range, it is valued for its edible seeds, oil-rich kernels, and leaves, which are sometimes used for food, traditional medicine, and cosmetic oil production.

Risks & Threats
This species is considered low risk and is not known to be invasive or widely naturalized in tropical island ecosystems such as Hawaiʻi. It does not show aggressive spreading behavior or a strong tendency to disrupt native plant communities. While it can establish in dry environments, it is generally slow-growing and limited by specific habitat needs. As with any introduced species, monitoring is still recommended, but Moringa peregrina is not currently considered a threat to native ecosystems and may be suitable for carefully managed, dryland planting sites.

High Risk Traits:

• Grows in arid tropical climates
  
• Other Moringa species have weedy traits and tendencies
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Reproduces by seeds
  
• Rapid growth rate
  
• Reaches maturity in 3+ years
  
• Seeds dispersed by wind, gravity and intentionally by people
  
• Seeds may persist in the soil for >1 year
  
• Tolerates pollarding and pruning
  
• Limited ecological information may limit accuracy of risk prediction

Low Risk Traits:

• No reports of invasiveness or naturalization, but no evidence of widespread introduction outside native range
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
  
• Palatable to browsing and grazing animals
  
• Source of seed oil
  
• Medicinal uses
  
• Not reported to spread vegetatively