Job's Tears
Coix lacryma-jobi • Poaceae
🌱 Seed Category
Grain
🌍 Origin Region
Southeast Asia and tropical regions of Asia; widely naturalized globally
📅 Days to Maturity
120 to 150 days from direct sowing to maturity. Harvest when the bead-like seed coats turn hard and glossy.
🌡️ Hardiness Zones
Typically grown as an annual in USDA Zones 2 through 11. It is a perennial in frost-free tropical climates (Zones 10-12).
About This Seed
The seeds are hard, oval-shaped, bead-like grains with a smooth, shiny, porcelain-like exterior that ranges in color from pearlescent white, grey, to dark brown-black. The resulting plant is a tall, robust annual grass growing 3 to 6 feet high with broad, corn-like leaves and dangling, hardened pseudocarps that enclose the true grains.
Growing Information
Growing Season
Spring and Summer; direct sow after all danger of frost has passed
Germination
Germinates in 14 to 21 days at an optimal soil temperature of 70 to 85°F. Moderate germination rate. Seeds benefit from a warm water soak for 24 hours prior to planting to soften the extremely hard seed coat.
Planting Instructions
Plant seeds 1 inch deep, spaced 6 to 12 inches apart in rows 24 to 36 inches apart. Prefers rich, loamy, consistently moist soils with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun (6 to 8 hours daily). Prefers high moisture and can tolerate poorly drained soils or standing water better than most grains; low drought tolerance.
Companion Plants
Beneficial companions include legumes like beans and peas for nitrogen fixation. Avoid planting near heavy-feeding shade-producing tall trees that block full sun.
Special Characteristics
Extremely hard seeds commonly used for making prayer beads, rosaries, and jewelry. The grains are also edible, nutritious, and used in traditional herbal medicine and teas.