African oil bean (ugba)

Pentaclethra macrophylla

A big shade legume whose sliced, fermented seeds become ugba; it feeds the soil under a compound farm.

Type: canopy tree · tropical and subtropical food plants
Hardiness: zones 11 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 60 ft tall, 40 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Forests from Senegal to Angola
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.

Good for: food, fixing nitrogen in the soil, wildlife.

Native to: West & Central African forests. Hardy in zones 11 to 12.

The story

The African oil bean is a classic shade tree of Igbo compound farms. Its big seeds are boiled, sliced and fermented into ugba, eaten with fish, greens and palm-oil dressing as abacha. As a legume it adds nitrogen to the soil beneath it.

Planting

Full sun, deep moist soil, frost-free. Grows from seed; give it plenty of room.

Growing

Plant shade crops like cocoyam or robusta coffee under it as it grows.

Harvest and use

Long woody pods twist open and fling their seeds; collect, boil and ferment them.

What to watch for

Raw seeds are not eaten: always boil and ferment first. A big tree, so not for small yards.

See if African oil bean (ugba) fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.

More tropical and subtropical food plants

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home