Achiote (annatto)
Bixa orellana
Red seeds that colour rice, cheese and body paint; pink flowers, spiky pods.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 15 ft tall, 12 ft wide
Harvest: August to November
From: Tropical America
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Native to: Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean, Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The story
Achiote, annatto, has been grown across tropical America for millennia; the Maya coloured food and their bodies with its red seeds, the Tsáchila of Ecuador still dye their hair with it, and it gives the colour to Yucatecan cochinita pibil, Filipino dishes, and much of the world's cheddar cheese.
Planting
Full sun, drained soil, heat; frost-free. Plant seed or a cutting; a shrub to 15 feet with pink flowers and spiny red pods.
Growing
Water through dry spells, prune after harvest to keep it bushy, and enjoy it as a hedge. It fruits in two years.
Harvest and use
Pick the pods when they dry and begin to split; rub out the red-coated seeds, dry, and steep in oil or grind into paste with spices.
What to watch for
Frost; stains on hands and clothes.
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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home