Drumstick Tree | Medium Tree Seedling

About Drumstick Tree

From the U.S. Forest Service:

"Drumstick tree, also known as horseradish tree and ben tree in English, is a small to medium-sized, evergreen or deciduous tree native to northern India, Pakistan and Nepal. It is cultivated and has become naturalized well beyond its native range, including throughout South Asia, and in many countries of Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, tropical Africa, Central America, the Caribbean and tropical South America. The tree usually grows to 10 or 12 m in height, with a spreading, open crown of drooping, brittle branches, feathery foliage of tripinnate leaves, and thick, corky, deeply fissured whitish bark. It is valued mainly for its edible fruits, leaves, flowers, roots, and seed oil, and is used extensively in traditional medicine throughout its native and introduced ranges.

It is cultivated and has become naturalized in other parts of Pakistan, India, and Nepal, as well as in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, West Asia, the Arabian peninsula, East and West Africa, throughout the West Indies and southern Florida, in Central and South America from Mexico to Peru, as well as in Brazil and Paraguay.

M. oleifera grows rapidly on favorable sites, with height increments of 1 to 2 m per year during the first 3 to 4 years. It is not known how long trees normally live. In an experiment conducted under rain fed conditions in Tanzania, nursery grown seedlings attained an average height of 4.1 m during the first year. While trees rarely grow taller than 10 to 12 m, they occasionally attain heights of up to 16 m with stem diameters of up to 75 cm. Fruit production begins as early as 6 to 8 months after planting in the case of trees raised from stem and branch cuttings. Fruit yields are generally low during the first 2 years, but from the third year onward, a single tree can yield between 600 and 1,600 fruits each year.

Drumstick tree has numerous traditional medicinal uses in many parts of its native and introduced ranges, and the tree continues to have an important role, in traditional Asian and West African medicine. In traditional Indian medicine various parts of the tree are used therapeutically, including for treatment of ascites, rheumatism, venomous bites, and as cardiac and circulatory stimulants. The roots, leaves and seeds are of particular importance in Ayurveda, and the uses of the roots, root bark, stem bark, stem exudates, leaves, flowers, and seeds treating a wide range of ailments have been discussed in ancient Sanskrit texts on medicine. The root of young trees and also the root bark are considered rubefacient, vescicant carminative, stomachic, and abortifacient; among other uses, they are commonly applied externally to cure inflammatory swellings. The flowers and roots contain pterogospermin, an antibiotic that is highly effective in the treatment of cholera. The flowers are also used as a tonic, diuretic and cholagogue. The leaves, rich in vitamin A and C, are considered useful in scurvy and respiratory ailments; they are also used as an emetic. The juice extracted from the leaves has strong antibacterial and antimalarial properties; a paste of the leaves is used as an external application to promote healing of wounds. The seed oil is applied externally to treat rheumatism and gout. Several compounds of proven medicinal value have been isolated from the roots, root bark, stem bark, and seeds."

Seedling Size Chart: Medium

Due to the dynamic nature of actively growing trees, as well as the tremendous variation between species’ growth rates, we rely on the cubic volume of a seedling’s root mass to determine its “size” (Small / Medium / Large / XL). Within each size there is minor variance — the dimensions provided here represent the category minimum. If exact measurements are essential, please contact us about current stock.