Elaeocarpus angustifolius seed
LATIN NAME: ELAECARPUS ANGUSTIFOLIUS
COMMON NAME: Rudraksha Tree, Blue Marble Tree, Blue Quandong
The blue marble tree, known through much of Asia as the rudraksha tree, is a tall evergreen of the tropical forest with a quiet, luminous surprise at the end of each flowering: sprays of small, fringed, cream flowers are followed by round, metallic-blue fruits, each holding a single hard, grooved seed that has been worn as a sacred bead in Hindu and Buddhist tradition for thousands of years. The leaves are long, narrow and finely toothed, glossy green above and pale beneath, and the tree grows steadily into a broad, rounded crown twenty metres or more across. Native from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to Australia, it grows in moist forest and along riverbanks, and in India it has stood in temple grounds for centuries, its fruits gathered for the prayer beads that give the species its deep cultural fame. It asks for warmth, steady moisture and plenty of light, and in a frost-free garden it becomes a handsome shade tree with an extraordinary harvest of blue marbles.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The rudraksha tree carries a rich record in cultural botany, natural-product chemistry and horticulture. The seeds themselves are among the most widely recognised plant products of South Asia, and chemists have studied the alkaloids and other compounds they contain, as well as the traditional uses attributed to them in the region’s medicine and ritual. Botanists examine its place within the elaeocarpus family, its variation across a range that spans two continents, and its role in the moist forests and riverine woodlands where it grows wild. Horticulturists value it for its fragrant flowers, its handsome evergreen form and the remarkable blue fruits, and it has been studied for street planting and garden use in warm cities. The fruit is edible though bitter, made into jams and pickles in some regions, and the pitted seeds are carved into jewellery and rosaries. For a tree of such spiritual and practical weight, the blue marble tree has a steady and growing body of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the rudraksha tree is generous to the life around it. Its fringed flowers draw bees and other pollinators, its blue fruits are taken by birds and fruit bats that carry the seeds far through the forest, and its broad crown gives shade and shelter to the creatures of the understorey. Economically, the seed beads form one of the most commercially important plant products of South Asia, sold in vast numbers for prayer malas and jewellery, and the tree also yields useful timber and is planted as an ornamental in warm regions. For a grower it is a dual-purpose tree with a deep cultural market, and for a gardener in a warm, frost-free climate it brings fragrance, metallic-blue fruit and one of the most sacred seeds on earth.
To grow the Blue Marble Tree from seed, to raise the blue marble tree, clean the flesh from the ripe blue fruits and sow the pitted seeds in pots of warm, moist compost, keeping them lightly shaded and never letting the compost dry out.
clean the flesh from the ripe blue fruits and sow the pitted seeds in pots of warm, moist compost, keeping the young trees lightly shaded and never letting the compost dry out.
LATIN NAME: Elaeocarpus angustifolius
COMMON NAME: Rudraksha Tree, Blue Marble Tree, Quandong
The rudraksha tree is a handsome tree with a remarkable claim to fame: it bears some of the most sacred seeds in the world. It grows as a tall, evergreen tree, reaching twenty metres or more, with a rounded crown of long, narrow, finely toothed leaves that are glossy green above and paler beneath. In summer the branches carry sprays of small, fringed, cream or white flowers with a delicate fragrance, and these are followed by round, blue fruits. Inside each fruit lies the famous seed, hard, grooved and marked with lines, the rudraksha bead that has been worn as a sacred object in Hinduism for thousands of years.
The rudraksha tree belongs to the elaeocarpus family, Elaeocarpaceae, and it is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of South and Southeast Asia, from India and Sri Lanka through to Australia. It grows in moist forests and along riverbanks, and it has been planted in temple grounds across India for centuries.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a rudraksha tree from seed is easy and very rewarding. The seeds sit inside the blue fruits, and they germinate readily in warm, moist conditions. Collect the fruits when ripe, clean the seeds, and sow them in pots of free-draining compost, about a centimetre deep, and keep them warm, humid and lightly shaded. Germination usually begins within four to eight weeks. Pot the seedlings on as they grow, giving them warmth, humidity and bright, indirect light, and protecting them from frost. In warm, frost-free climates they grow into handsome trees, and in cooler regions they make striking greenhouse plants. In time, your tree may even bear its own crop of the sacred blue-marbled seeds.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The rudraksha tree has a genuine and growing place in both cultural and natural-products research. The seeds, worn as sacred beads in Hinduism and Buddhism for millennia, are one of the most widely recognised plant products in South Asia, and researchers have studied their chemistry, including the alkaloids and other compounds they contain, as well as their traditional uses in medicine and their claimed effects on health. In horticulture, the tree is valued for its handsome evergreen form, its fragrant flowers and its striking blue fruits, and it is studied for cultivation in gardens and along streets in warm regions. Its ecology, including its role in the forests of South Asia and its use in temple plantings, is also of interest to botanists. For a tree of such spiritual and practical importance, the rudraksha has a rich and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the rudraksha tree is a valuable tree of the tropical forest. Its flowers feed bees and other pollinators, its blue fruits are eaten and dispersed by birds and bats, and its large crown gives shade and shelter for wildlife.
Its economic value is considerable. The rudraksha beads are one of the most commercially important plant products in South Asia, worn as sacred objects and sold in vast numbers, and the tree also yields useful timber. It is grown as an ornamental for its handsome foliage, fragrant flowers and blue fruits. For a grower, the rudraksha tree is a dual-purpose tree with a deep cultural market, and for a gardener in a warm climate it brings beauty, fragrance and one of the most sacred seeds on earth.
Elaeocarpus angustifolius (or grandis) is a species of flowering plant in the Elaeocarpaceae family, bearing bitter edible fruit. It is commonly known as Blue Marble Tree, and also as Blue Fig or Blue Quandong. The fruit of this species is round and blue, between 20 and 30 mm across, and has a hard shell with deep convolutions in its shell. Flowers are greenish or white, bell-shaped, with 5 fringed petals, in numerous racemes borne along branches from leaf scars. The white flowers in summer are followed by metallic blue fruits 3 cm diameter, which contain a hard pitted center. Jams and pickles can be made with the fruit, and the large, attractive, pitted seed is often used in art/jewelry making. The trees will easily grow to 50 feet or more, and has both brilliant red leaves as well as deep green foliage, set against a very dark straight trunk. The trees are fairly hard to come by, but are worth the cost and time to locate them. I planted some in 2005 and the seedlings were already 7 feet tall after 18 months. The trees are undemanding in their culture, but do like regular watering and plenty of sunlight. The seeds are fickle regarding germination; they can take 4-12 months to sprout even with bottom heat and scarifying the seeds.