Astatula, FL (Zone 9b) | September 2019 | positive
My Achiote plants have been growing for a few years in zone 9 Florida. If we have cold weather the plants die to the ground. All I do i...Read Mores mulch them to protect the roots and by June each year they come back. They seem to have gotten used to where they are growing. I trim the dead branches sometime in the spring and they come back. Las year one of the trees had the seed pods but the neighborhood kids....led by my granddaughter, picked the pods before they were ripe.
The scarlet fruits are this shrub's main attraction---they last for months, and are showy in winter when even in semitropical gardens som...Read Moree color may be especially appreciated. In south Florida, this would be called a snowbird plant.
I too have had the same issue with growing the Annatto tree from seed. I purchased the seed from Horizon Herbs and both times the seeds ...Read Moregerminated quickly but soon withered before its first set of true leaves. I've tried three times so far under perfect soil/water/weather conditions. I'm trying to increase the humidity by covering the seedlings but it doesn't appear to be working. I live in SW Florida.
This is the 2nd time I've tried to grow bixa orellana... the seeds germinate readily but the seedlings get their first true leaf and all ...Read Morethe leaves suddenly drop off and they stop growing. Indoors, regular miracle gro potting soil, watered regularly. I just put one out on the balcony because it's been really humid - it hasn't dropped its leaves yet (still has 2 seed leaves and 1 'real'); perhaps humidity is key.
I started them from seed last year here in zone 9A completely without issue. They were robust and cold hearty the stated zone 11 simply i...Read Moresn't true, I did no protection of them and they laughed at out cold snaps and continued to grow well even threw the winter. Beautiful leaves! Nice straight up ward growth so far.
Plant is growing quite well in the University of South Florida botanical garden. It is growing in partial shade. While this plant is list...Read Moreed as a zone 11 plant, the area is a humid 9A and 12-15 feet tall. Plant recieved several hours in the low to mid 20s last winter and bloomed heavily the following fall.
San Antonio, TX (Zone 8b) | January 2008 | neutral
I have not grown this plant which is the only species of the family Bixaceae. Annatto, Lipstick Plant, Urucum, Colorau (Bixa orellana) i...Read Mores naturalized in Hawaiia, Puerto Rico and the Vigin Islands.
From the seeds of this plant you can obtain annato, a commonly used red condiment. The flowers are beautiful, pink, but the fruits are th...Read Moree most attarctive, red and spiny.
This is a useful medicinal plant. I want to know about anyone who has a large planting.
My Achiote plants have been growing for a few years in zone 9 Florida. If we have cold weather the plants die to the ground. All I do i...Read More
The scarlet fruits are this shrub's main attraction---they last for months, and are showy in winter when even in semitropical gardens som...Read More
I too have had the same issue with growing the Annatto tree from seed. I purchased the seed from Horizon Herbs and both times the seeds ...Read More
This is the 2nd time I've tried to grow bixa orellana... the seeds germinate readily but the seedlings get their first true leaf and all ...Read More
I started them from seed last year here in zone 9A completely without issue. They were robust and cold hearty the stated zone 11 simply i...Read More
Plant is growing quite well in the University of South Florida botanical garden. It is growing in partial shade. While this plant is list...Read More
I have not grown this plant which is the only species of the family Bixaceae. Annatto, Lipstick Plant, Urucum, Colorau (Bixa orellana) i...Read More
From the seeds of this plant you can obtain annato, a commonly used red condiment. The flowers are beautiful, pink, but the fruits are th...Read More