Annatto Tree (Bixa orellana) – The Sindoor Tree of India 🌿✨

At BreathingArt, the Annatto Tree (Bixa orellana), known in India as Sindoor Tree, Latkan, or Jaffra, is a stunning tropical plant admired for its delicate pink-to-white flowers and striking red seed pods. This evergreen tree not only adds beauty to landscapes but also provides the famous annatto seeds, widely used as a natural dye, spice, and cosmetic ingredient.

🌸 Flowers: The tree blooms with clusters of soft, pinkish-white flowers with a fluffy, stamen-rich center, creating a dreamy, delicate contrast against its lush green foliage.
🔴 Seeds & Pods: The real showstopper is its bright red, spiky seed capsules, which split open to reveal vivid orange-red seeds. These seeds are traditionally used to make natural food coloring (annatto), herbal medicine, and sindoor (vermilion) in India.

🌿 Did you know? The Sindoor Tree gets its name from the deep red dye extracted from its seeds, historically used as natural sindoor for rituals and adornment. Indigenous cultures have also used the seeds as lipstick, body paint, and textile dye for centuries!

🪴 Light: Full sun to partial shade
💧 Water: Moderate, prefers well-drained soil
🌱 Care Level: Easy, drought-tolerant once established
🌿 Ideal for: Tropical gardens, spice gardens, ornamental landscapes, and agroforestry

Bring home the grace and vibrancy of the Annatto Tree, available at BreathingArt—where nature’s artistry flourishes! 🌿✨