Moringa peregrina

This native of the Red Sea region is the strangest member of a strange group. When Moringa peregrina seedlings start out, they have broad leaflets and a large tuber. Through many dry seasons, the shoot dies back below ground to the tuber. As the plant gets older, the leaves get longer and longer, but the leaflets get smaller and smaller and more widely spaced. Adult trees produce leaves with a full complement of tiny leaflets, only to drop them as the leaf matures. However, the naked leaf axis remains, giving the tree a wispy look similar to Tamarix or Cercidium microphyllum. The pink zygomorphic flowers are sweetly scented and contrast with the blue leaves.

Similar plants:

• Moringa drouhardii (Malagasy Moringa)
• Moringa hildebrandtii (Moringa)
• Moringa oleifera, Moringa pterygosperma (Horseradish tree, Ben Oil Tree, Coatli, Drumstick tree, Bridal veil)
• Moringa ovalifolia (Phantom Tree)
• Moringa sp. (Moringa)
• Moringa stenopetala (Horseradish tree, Haleko)