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Coix lacryma-jobi |
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| Common name |
Job's tears |
| Family |
poaceae |
| Life cycle |
tender perennial |
| Light |
sun-part shade |
| Cultural notes |
ordinary garden soil, not too dry |
From seed  |
soak, germinate at room temperature. scarification may be helpful.
Flowers first year from seed sown indoors early.
detailed seed-starting info below
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The pearly seeds of this grass species are used in necklaces. I've never managed to grow them as impressive as others do, but last year at least I got a good crop of seeds, as pictured in the photo at right.
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In our garden, this plant grows in the following area: bogside border Seed for this plant is included on my seed trade list About my plant portraits
Visitors to this page have left the following comments| Anna Maria Ballarin | Apr 05, 2005 | Thought this plant is also known as Jacob's Tears in some parts of the world. |
| Kaye Bordelon | Oct 18, 2006 | I have a friend who has been wanting to buy seeds or the plant to make rosaries could you let me know if I can purchase. thank you kaye
For direct questions to me, of no interest to fellow gardeners, please mail me directly (link at the bottom of each page). Thanks! |
| jim burns | Jun 17, 2008 | first met jobs tears as necklaces in PNG highlands. Read there are cultivars in Sth America. Now find grown as a food plant in Laos. My Qs: where the hell did the plant originate? When did it spread to other parts of the world? How did it get there? If anyone has evidence & source of it I'd be obliged if you'd email me: nagalao@yahoo.co.uk |
| Rev. Mary | Aug 15, 2008 | I especially appreciate the helpful info you have given on Job's Tears. I have long searched for the name of the plant that produced "natural beads" that Native Americans made necklaces with. Fifteen years ago I bought a necklace made of Job's Tears and have wondered about these little creations ever since. Now I feel so very blessed with all the information I have at last been able to gather about them. You list them as a perennial, and I find them listed elsewhere as an annual. Well, with your seed starting tips to help, I hope to find out come next year about this. I am excited to be able to at last try this venture and hope there will be a place in my garden where they will feel "at
home" and thrive. I would like to try making some jewelry of my own, and even perhaps try to cook some as a cereal as I have also read can be done. THANK YOU for the fine photos that show me what to be looking for in my garden !!
I list it as a tender perennial - which means it is perennial in tropical climates, but cannot be grown as a perennial where I garden. So we treat it as an annual. |
- Seed from '99/'00 AHS exchange. Soak overnight, cellpack 70F (90%G, 13-15d)
- Seed from '03/'04 AHS exchange. Soak overnight, pot 70F (20%G, 15d)
- Seed from '04 garden. First attempt: soak overnight, pot 70F (no G). Second attempt: sandpapered a window into each seedcoat, baggy with peat moss 75F (37%G, 8d)
- Seed from '05 garden. Nicked, placed in baggy with potting soil at 75F (10%G)
- Seed from '07 garden. Determined that only the pearly-gray seeds are viable - black and white ones are not. Nicked individual seeds with a file, baggy 75F (89%G, 7-13d)
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Last modified:
March 21, 2008
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