Rudraksh Tree (Elaeocarpus sphaericus): Where It Grows in India and How to Plant It
Elaeocarpus sphaericus
Rudraksh, the sacred bead tree, comes from the humid Himalayan foothills and North-East India. Elsewhere in India it grows only with care, and in hot, dry regions only in a shaded, sheltered spot with drip water, summer shade net and winter frost cover; beads are not guaranteed.
Varieties
We checked Kew's plant name list (WCVP), ICFRE's forestry tree variety releases of 2021 and 2026, IFGTB's tree improvement page and India's plant variety register (PPV&FRA), and none of them lists a named variety, clone or selection of the rudraksh tree. Its botanical name has long been confused with Elaeocarpus ganitrus; a 2023 Kew Bulletin paper resolved this and restored Elaeocarpus sphaericus as a distinct species.
Sources: Kew WCVP on GBIF: Elaeocarpus sphaericus varieties (var. major and var. hayatae, both synonyms of other species) – GBIF / Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (WCVP); Gole, Nimbalkar, Page & Sardesai (2023), Resolving the long-standing confusion surrounding Elaeocarpus ganitrus: typification of four associated binomials and resurrection of Elaeocarpus sphaericus, Kew Bulletin 78: 389-395 – Kew Bulletin (Springer Nature); ICFRE-FRI news (3 Dec 2021): release of 22 high-yielding clones of neem, Calophyllum inophyllum, Eucalyptus hybrid, Dalbergia sissoo and Populus deltoides – ICFRE-Forest Research Institute, Dehradun; ICFRE-FRI news (2026): ICFRE approves release of 18 high-yielding varieties/clones of Casuarina, teak, kadamb, Melia dubia and Flemingia semialata – ICFRE-Forest Research Institute, Dehradun; IFGTB Genetics & Tree Improvement achievements (released clones of Casuarina and Eucalyptus) – ICFRE-Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore; PPV&FRA list of plant variety registration certificates (tree, forest and plantation crops: cashew, coconut, tea, eucalyptus, casuarina, neem and others) – Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority, Government of India
This article was prepared with AI assistance. Please check important details against the sources shown in each section.
Plant a tree you can track
GreenEye plants trees like this one on our land. Track yours as it grows.
Share this article