African locust bean, Twoball Nitta-Tree

Where does African locust bean grow?

Found in: Africa, Antigua and Barbuda, Asia, Australia, Barbados, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Malawi, Mali, Martinique, Niger, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Sahel, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Virgin Islands, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia

Notes: Also as Mimosaceae.

Status: It is an important food in West Africa. It is commonly used. It is an important fruit tree in Nigeria. It is also cultivated. Fruit tend to be available in the drier more hungry season.

Growing African locust bean, Twoball Nitta-Tree

Cultivation: Plants can be grown from seeds. The seeds are put into boiling water then allowed to cool to improve their germination. They can be transplanted after 10-14 weeks. Plants can be grown from root suckers. Plants can be budded.

Edible Uses: The seeds are normally roasted. They are then bruised and allowed to ferment in water. They are then washed and ground into powder. It can be stored for long periods. The seeds can be processed into a vegetable cheese. This is used as a spice to season sauces and soups. The flesh of the fruit is edible. A drink is also made from the flesh of the fruit. The bark is used in relishes and chutneys as a flavouring.

Production: Initial plant growth is slow. First fruit develop after about 8 years. Flowers are fruit develop during the dry season.

Nutrition Info

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