Family: Fabaceae
Scientific name: Caesalpinia bonduc
Common name: Gray Nickernut
Origin: Central America

The seeds of this plant, which are about 2 cm wide, are commonly referred to as grey marble nuts. They are used for jewellery and for various mancala board games, such as Oware, in the Caribbean region. The seeds are frequently found on tropical beaches, because the plant spreads itself through the oceans. Nowadays, you can spot the plant in many tropical areas. It’s a bush that grows climbing over nearby plants. The pods have spines and generally contain two seeds. It’s a tropical plant which can also be kept as a houseplant.

Sowing instructions: Saw or notch the seeds a bit, so that there is a small gap created in the hard pericarp. Take care and do not damage the bud. Next, soak the seeds overnight in water and sow in sowing mix. Constantly keep the soil most, cover with plastic foil and let them germinate on a warm spot.

Sowing time: Whole year
Difficulty: Intermediate
Minimum temperature: 10 degrees Celsius
 

Photo 1: John Bradford
Photo 2: Georg Goergen