Moloka`i, Hawai`i: Putative Intraspecific Hybrids

These rare seeds are from trees grown for us on a farm near Kaunakakai on Moloka`i island in Hawai`i.  The trees from which the seeds were produced were originally seedlings that we grew from seeds collected in the wild in the Al Madinah area of Saudi Arabia.

Seedlings grown from the Moloka`i seeds emerge with the unique, narrow red primary leaves typical of Moringa peregrina.  However, with continued growth plants from some seed lots have not developed the needle like leaf structure typical of the species.

The trees at our facility are immature and have not bloomed.  The appearance of their flowers could help us deterimine if these are intraspecific hybrids, and the leaves may change to thier normal shape as they mature.  The unusual appearance of the leaves may result from growing conditions in Hawa'i. It is also possible that the Moloka`i seeds are the products of cross pollination with other moringa species (M. oleifera and M. stenopetala) that are also grown on the Moloka`i farm.  Until we have more definitive information these seeds should be considered putative intraspecific hybrids.

2024 Update - Second Generation of Hyrbid Seeds Produced

Late in 2023 a presumably hybrid tree grown at our Discovery Harbour facility on Hawai`i island bloomed and produced seeds.  These are the product of open pollination and the only other moringa species blooming at the time were Moringa borziana and Moringa oleifera.  They are the second generation of presumptive hybrids.  Lot numbers of these seeds will begin with MPXX.  Germination testing was in progress in April 2024.