Putranjiva Roxburghii, Lucky Bean Tree - 0.5 kg Seeds

Putranjiva or the Lucky Bean Tree (Putranjiva roxburghii, syn. Drypetes roxburghii) is a small to medium evergreen tree with a dense, gracefully drooping crown of glossy dark-green leaves. The hard, stony seeds are strung into rosaries and protective amulets, giving the tree its common name of Child Life Tree.

Native to and cultivated throughout the Indian subcontinent, it is planted as a shade and avenue tree and as a wind-resistant ornamental in temples, homes and gardens. The leaves, seeds and bark are used in Ayurveda for fevers and urinary complaints, and the seed kernels yield an oil, while the close-grained wood serves for small turnery.

• Family: Putranjivaceae
• Native region: Indian subcontinent
• Mature height: 8-12 m
• Growth rate: slow to moderate

The seeds are hard-coated and slow to start. Soak them in water for 48 hours (changing the water once) before sowing about 2 cm deep in sandy soil in deep polybags. Germination is erratic and may take 30 days or more; keep the mix warm and just moist, and transplant the seedlings only once they are sturdy and 25-30 cm tall.