Moringa oleifera

The English name Drumstick Tree refers to the mature seed pods, but it is also called Horse-radish because of the spice flavoring from the roots. The Swahili name is Mlonge.
The tree is indigenous to Indian but has been planted all over the tropics - probably by Indian people because it is a very useful tree.
The tree has naturalized in coastal East Africa and grows best to about 500m above sea level. The tree is quite drought resistant.

Description: A deciduous tree <10m high with pale, feathery foliage. Bark is thick and corky and in mature trees peels in patches. Leaves are pale green compound in groups of three along the stalk. the whole leaf is 30 - 50 cm. each leaflet is oval with the tip rounded < 2cm long. Flowers are cream to fading yellow in long sprays, fragrant and attracting insects. Fruit are long capsules/pods to about 45cm in triangular sections, splitting when ripe to release dark brown 3 winged seeds.Uses: Food - young leaves, young pods and also flowers. Spice flavoring from the young roots. medicine, fodder, bee fodder, oil (Ben oil), soil conservation, fibre, live fence and water purification from the seed cake.

Propagation: There are >5 000 seeds per kg with a viability of 60% and the seed may be kept for up to 1 year if kept dry.
Sow directly into pots or cold water soak for 6 hours prior - I never found this necessary.
Seedling grow quickly and establish well in good conditions.

The tree is very useful but the populations around Arusha/Meru don't know the species well well so do not utilize it. One Indian woman in Valeska had a tree growing there and used it well but really the climate is not suited to the species and generally it does not thrive at such altitudes.
I trialled it and found it difficult to grow in the nursery - I guess the night temperatures were too cold.

There was an Indian ma who came around the area wanting farmers to plant Mlonge trees and he guaranteed to come back to purchase the seed - in the event he never came back, but when I was asked by the people I worked with, I told them the tree would not thrive unless in micro-climates that suit it.

However Mama Mbembe decided to recommend the project and went all out to provide seedlings and talk farmers into planting large areas [for them]. The results were patchy to say the least, and in the end farmers removed the surviving trees. It was a pity that they were removed because even if poorly growing, the tree is remarkably useful.

Water purification: After the oil has been removed from the seed [crushed] the remaining seed cake can be used to clean water. That is it causes clays silt and fecal content to lose its suspension in the water and become sediment. It does not make the water pure just clean - therefore it still requires boiling but is much more pleasant to drink.
Boil the water!