Bixa

( BICKS - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

Native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, this tropical genus includes the cultivated crop Achiote (Bixa orellana). These perennial plants form tall shrubs or small evergreen trees that can reach up to 33 feet tall when mature. Fruits are softly spiny and bright red, containing many seeds. Use these plants as specimen trees, privacy or hedging plants, or container plants on patios or walkways.

Bixa Species and Varietals

The genus Bixa is the type genus member of the plant family Bixaceae, and includes six species. The best growing zones for Bixa plants are USDA hardiness zones 10-12 or Sunset growing zones 17-26, H1 and H2. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Bixa orellana (Achiote, Annatto, Lipstick Tree)
This large shrub to small tree is native to Central America, and is cultivated in many countries around the world. The species is best known as the source of annatto, a natural orange-red condiment used as a food dye and additive for cosmetics and other products. Individual plants typically reach between 12 and 30 feet tall in home garden cultivation. Flowers are pink and fruits are bright red.

Caring for Bixa

To have the best chance at a full harvest from these trees, make sure they are planted in a spot in the landscape that will receive at least between 6 and 8 hours of sun daily. They enjoy being planted in fertile, well-draining soil. If local soils are poor or overly clayey with insufficient structure, make sure to amend the planting site with plenty of organic material and compost to improve drainage and fertility. Provide both newly planted and mature trees with regular water. These trees do not need to be fertilized regularly; a dressing of an organic compost is typically sufficient to provide nutrients for the growing season. They also do not require much in the way of pruning, except to remove damaged, dying, diseased or crossing branches. If growing as a hedge or privacy plant, prune as needed to maintain a healthy, useful shape.

Harvesting Bixa (Annatto)
To ensure that these trees and shrubs will produce enough fruits for processing, make sure to hand-pollinate with a cotton swab or fine paintbrush. After some time has passed, the bright pink flower petals will begin to wither, and seeds will form inside of pods that look a little like those on Chestnut trees. Bag developed seed heads as some of the ones on the tree begin to split open and release seeds. Allow seed heads to dry out in a paper bag in a dark, dry, cool area. For best results, many people will use small mesh baggies and tie them around fruits to allow them to split open and mature on the tree, and then collect them. Fruits are typically under an inch in diameter, and are bright red. Seeds can be heated and stirred in a neutral oil over a stovetop to extract their color, and then be strained out. Take care when working with these seeds and the oil extract, as it will stain anything it comes into contact with. Stain can be removed with soap and water. The oil can be stored in the pantry for three months, or in the refrigerator.

Propagation

Bixa trees and shrubs can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Lipstick Tree, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Bixa by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. A good substrate for propagation of cuttings is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Bixa by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
Harvest your seeds. The seed pods on Bixia plants are pretty easy to spot, they're large, bright red and are held on the branches, left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.