Bixa orellana aka Lipstick Tree

Bixa orellana, also known as achiote or lipstick tree, is a small but fast-growing evergreen shrub or small tree native to Central America and commonly grown in many areas of the tropics. The tree is best known for its annatto, a natural orange-red condiment obtained from the waxy arils that cover its seeds. The ground seeds are widely used in traditional dishes in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, as well as a food coloring for products such as butter, cheese, margarine, ice creams, meats, and condiments. The indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South America originally used the seeds to make red body paint and lipstick, as well as a spice. Lipsticktree is also a super rare houseplant that is easy to grow and belongs to the Bixa genus, thriving in long-lasting, direct light less than one foot from a window. This plant is very important to the lives of local people, providing a wide range of foods and materials and is often cultivated for the red substance that surrounds the seeds and which is widely used as a dye, food coloring, flavouring, and insect repellent.