| Lipstick Tree | |
| Bixa orellana | |
| a.k.a. Annato, Urucum, Achiote |
see more pictures of the lipstick tree
Spiny red fruit with hard, deep red seeds that are used as a spice, in cosmetics, and as an industrial dye.
Description: Small tree or bush, to 6-20ft. Most types or red, but there are rarer,
yellow and green fruiting plants.
Hardiness: Lipstick trees are frost sensitive
and grows best in direct sunlight.
Growing Environment: The lipstick tree will succeed in subtropical
climates, but flourishes in the tropics, where profusions of fruit ripen
on and off throughout the year.
the highly ornamental lipstick tree, with ripe fruits standing out like fiery coals
Propagation: Often propagated by seed, which can sprout from 2-16 weeks after planting. Cuttings can be rooted, and some plants are propagated by grafting. Lipstick tree's usually bear fruit within 1-2 years from seed or planting.
the rare yellow-fruiting variety, brown pods on left have ripened and expelled their seeds
Uses: Seeds yield a red dye that is used in numerous commercial and industrial processes. Historically, indigenous peoples have used the seeds and plant for body paint, and to treat a variety of maladies.
Native Range: Native to Central and South America. Has spread throughout much of the Carribean and many tropical regions on other continents.