Family: Elaeocarpaceae
Scientific name: Elaeocarpus ganitrus
Common name: Rudraksha
Origin: Nepal and Southern Asia

Rudraksha is of great significance for Hinduism and Buddhism. The seeds of this tree are often worn as a prayer chain, because the wearer would then be protected by Lord Shiva. When Shiva opened his eyes after a long period of meditation, he left a tear: the legend says this tear grows in the Rudraksha tree. The number of grooves in the seeds further indicates how particular this seed is. Usually there are five (the five faces of Shiva), but anything between 1 and 21 is possible. The less or even more grooves, the more peculiar the seed. 
In addition to the special effects of the seeds, they can of course also be sown. The tropical tree can also be kept as a houseplant, but it is thereby difficult to get the species in a colder climate to flourish. The fruits are bright blue and each contain a seed.

Sowing description: Carefully try to break open the seeds a bit and then let them soak in lukewarm water for 48 hours. For sowing use sowing mix and keep the soil constantly moist. Let them germinate at 25 to 30 degrees Celcius. The germination can take several months up to 2 years and can occur as long the seeds are hard.

Sowing time: Whole year
Difficulty: Challenging
Minimum temperature: 10 degrees Celcius

Photo 1: Krishnaprasadkkp via Wikipedia
Photo 2: Kapil Subramanian (CCA-3.0 Wikipedia)