Moringa drouhardiiBottle Tree Moringa

From the spiny forests of southwestern Madagascar, the Moringa drouhardii puts up a smooth pale trunk that swells into a tapered bottle and then breaks into a fine, sparse, feathery crown. The effect is closer to sculpture than to a tree, and it is achieved on some of the driest, thinnest limestone ground on the island.

Where an arid scheme needs a vertical element that will not ask for irrigation, this is one of a very short list of candidates.

Specifications

• Height8 to 12 metres, occasionally to 15 metres
• Width3 to 6 metres
• Native toThe dry southwest of Madagascar
• FoliageFine, twice to three times pinnate leaves in a sparse open crown; shed through the dry season
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilRequires sharply drained sandy or limestone soils; rots in heavy or wet ground
• LightFull sun
• WaterVery low; strongly drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in arid and semi-arid tropical regions

Additional Features

• FormSwollen pale bottle-shaped trunk with smooth grey-white bark, tapering to a fine open crown
• FlowersCreamy-white flowers carried in dense panicles
• UsesIdeal as an architectural feature in desert landscapes, xeric gardens and arid avenues
• SpacingPlant 5 to 8 metres apart so the trunk form reads clearly
• Low MaintenanceNeeds almost no routine care in a dry climate; the main risk is overwatering
• Pest ResistanceGenerally robust where drainage is sharp
• Drought ToleranceStores water in the trunk and holds condition through prolonged drought

Bottle Tree Moringa brings sculptural height to a desert scheme without adding to its water demand.