Noni - The Miracle Fruit

In short: Noni (Morinda citrifolia) is a tropical shrub or small tree 3–6 m tall that bears yellow-green fruit from its first year. It needs an average annual temperature of 19–35 °C, grows in all soil types and tolerates shade and salty water. In cooler climates, the seeds germinate best in a mini greenhouse.

Read about: noni, how to recognize noni, economic importance of noni, fruit drink from noni fruits

Noni - Miracle Fruit

The Noni plant, more precisely Morinda citrifolia, is a small tree bearing the same-named yellow-green fruit. This tree is also known as Indian Mulberry. It's also known by the names Nonu, Nono, Bumbo, Lada, Munja, or Canary Wood. Polynesian sailors brought Noni to Hawaii more than 2000 years ago. Today it is most widespread in many coastal areas of Central America, West India and Madagascar.

Noni is a shrub growing up to 6m in height. Its significance lies mainly in folk medicine

A single plant can have both ripe and unripe fruits at the same time, producing 4-8kg every month!!! Thanks to its high productivity, Noni is mentioned in the Bible as a miracle plant. In Hawaii and Polynesia, this fruit even played an important role during times of famine.

How to Recognize Noni?

Noni is a deciduous tree of smaller height, reaching approximately 3-6m. The leaves are simple elliptical or ovate, similar to citron leaves. From the age of 1 year, it bears Noni fruit with a characteristic appearance and specific taste.

It reproduces through seeds that have an air pocket inside. Seeds carried by currents can float thousands of kilometers over several months and reach distant continents.

In our conditions, noni seeds germinate best in a mini greenhouse. A mini greenhouse maintains constant temperature and air humidity.

The roots have a strong ability to expand laterally, for example in Hawaii plants are often planted in rock crevices and solidified lava, where they hold the soil.

Noni thrives in a wide range of ecosystems, tropical and temperate zones. Classic plants require an average annual temperature between 19 and 35°C. It can be grown on all soil types, acidic, neutral or alkaline.

The Noni plant itself resists high salt concentration in water, so it also grows near beaches. It tolerates shade, dry and humid climates (rainfall between 250 and 4000 mm annually). The largest cultivation center is Polynesia, especially Tahiti, which is ideal for their cultivation. The harvesting and processing of Noni fruit on these islands has centuries-long history and today offers an alternative for the local economy, as well as employment opportunities for new generations.

All parts of Noni (bark, roots, leaves, flowers and fruits, seeds) are used in herbal medicine for their healing properties. Mainly due to the content of xeronine and proxeronine.

Traditional "Kahuna", who were the original Polynesian healers, prepared juice from ripe fruits, fermented for a long time in the sun.

Even today, commercial companies that have started to spread the Noni phenomenon internationally follow the old and traditional production methods. Some Noni juices stimulate the immune system, which is often threatened by an unbalanced diet and the negative effects of stress, accompanied by increased amounts of melatonin and serotonin in the body.

Noni is offered on the market primarily as a fruit drink that has a number of health effects, especially on the human psyche. The EU has authorised noni juice as a novel food but has not approved any health claims for it, such as strengthening the immune system, reducing cholesterol levels or benefiting the joints. Claims about effects on diabetes, arthritis, obesity, depression or cancer are not approved either.

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