Adenanthera Pavonina

Description

Racemes of greenish yellowish flower grow in dense drooping rat-tail flower heads, almost like catkins. Later, the curved hanging pods, with a bulge opposite each seed, split open into two twisted halves, to reveal the hard, scarlet seeds. The beautiful seeds have long been used as beads for jewellery, and in India they have been used as units of weight for fine gold from historic times because the seeds have almost almost identical weights. The Malay name for the tree, saga, has been traced to the Arabic for 'goldsmith'. This tree is also used for making soap, and a red dye can be obtained from the wood, which is extremely hard, and is used for boat-building and making furniture.

Sowing Advice

These seeds have already been thoroughly cleaned and should be sown into a well-drained, sandy compost at any time of the year, and covered thinly with sand or grit and kept moist. Keep at between 20-25 degrees C. Seeds sometimes germinate within 4 to 6 weeks although some may take very much longer so please be patient. Plant out in the open ground in warmer countries or in a large container elsewhere.

Key Facts