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Morinda citrifolia
Rubiaceae FAMILY

Morinda citrifolia

Morinda citrifolia

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
4/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthMedium

A persistent and very tolerant plant, noni is widely adapted to a range of tropical and subtropical climates and is commonly found at elevations up to 1,500 metres[1]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 24 - 30°c, but can tolerate 12 - 36°c[2]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 3,000mm, but tolerates 700 - 4,200mm[2]. Prefers a well-drained, sandy soil and a position in full sun to partial shade[3, 4]. Succeeds in a wide range of soils[2]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.3 - 7[2]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[4]. Plants can withstand salt-laden winds[4]. Plants have a deep taproot[1]. Flowering and fruiting start in the third year of growth from seed and continue throughout the year[1]. Yield of the bark for use as a dye is reported to be 500 - 1,000 kilos per hectare[2]. The plant can live for at least 25 years[2]. The ability of the seeds to float explains its wide distribution and occurrence on many seashores[1].

Propagation

Seed - sow in nursery beds. Germination takes place 3 - 9 weeks after sowing[1]. After germination, seedlings are transplanted at ca. 1.2 m x 1.2 m in well-tilled soil[1]. The seeds remain viable for at least 6 months[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Morinda+citrifolia>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
  2. [2]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  3. [3]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
  4. [4]Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. — Barwick. M. · Thames & Hudson, London · 2004 · ISBN 0-500-51181-0 ↩︎A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.
  5. [5]Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands — Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H. · USDA, Forest Service; Washington. · 1964 ↩︎Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
  6. [6]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  7. [7]Medicinal Plants in the South Pacific — WHO Regional Publications, Manilla. · 1998 · ISBN 92-9061-118-9 ↩︎Excellent guide to 102 medicinal herbs of the Pacific Islands, with photographs of each plant and details of their constituents, biological activities and traditional uses. A description of each plant, together with habitat and distribution is given.
  8. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎