Scientific Name: Sesbania sesban

Common Name: Egyptian Pea

Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Names in other languages: Mwethia (Kikuyu, Kenya), Ol Ojengalani (Maa, Kenya and Tanzania) Enchini/Harcha (Oromo, Ethiopia and Kenya)  Umunyegenyege (Kinyarwanda, Rwanda and Kirundi, Burundi) Umqambuqweqwe (Zulu, South Africa)

General Information

Sesbania sesban is a tree species growing primarily in semi arid and tropical areas throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a relatively small tree species with the average Sesbania tree reaching a maximum height of 8 meters. Due to the tree being native to areas of the world with unpredictable weather and being prone to droughts and flash floods, Sesbania sesban is a very hardy and resilient species of tree, able to withstand circumstances that many other plants cannot. 

Features of Sesbania Sesban that make it identifiable:

• The branches have leaves that are oval shaped petals. They are in pairs attached to a thin branch. 

• Yellow flowers grow on the tree 

How to care for the plant:

• The plant requires a lot of sunlight due to it's natural habitat being hot semi arid and tropical areas of the world

• The plant requires moderate water

• The plant grows quite fast compared to other species 

Uses:

• The leaves are a good source of nutrition and food. It is an easily accesible source of protein for cattle and sheep and a common part in cooking as a seasoning and used in tea. The leaves and flowers are eaten as vegetables and the seeds are initially poisonous to humans but can be eaten after soaking in water for 3 days. 

• Many parts of the tree are used for medicinal purposes, such as healing

• The wood is commonly used as firewood, and fibers from the tree bark are often used to make ropes and nets 

• It is very useful for both manure and mulch

Bibliography

“Sesbania Sesban - Useful Tropical Plants.” Tropical.theferns.info, tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Sesbania+sesban. Accessed 15 May 2024.