Red bead tree (Adenanthera pavonina)

Adenanthera pavonina, the red bead tree or manjadi, drops glossy, heart-shaped scarlet seeds that children collect by the handful. Goldsmiths once used them as small weights, and in Kerala devotees at the Guruvayur temple play with bowls of manjadi seeds as an offering. The seeds are toxic raw, though they are roasted and eaten in parts of Asia.

Botanical name: Adenanthera pavonina L.
Family: Fabaceae
Tamil: Manjadi
Hindi: Rakta chandan bead
Parts used: Seed (bead; cooked kernel in some kitchens)
Habit: Scarlet bead pea; red sandal is Pterocarpus
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise Red bead tree

It is a medium-sized deciduous tree with feathery, twice-pinnate leaves of small, oval leaflets that turn yellow before falling.

Small cream to yellow flowers grow in narrow, upright spikes.

The pods are long, curved and twisted. They split and coil to show bright red, shiny, heart-shaped seeds that stay attached for a while.

Rosary pea, Abrus precatorius, has smaller, red seeds with a black spot at one end and is deadly poisonous. Manjadi seeds are all red.

Traditional use of Red bead tree

Temple and household

At Guruvayur in Kerala, children run their hands through urns of manjadi seeds as an offering. The seeds are used in games and strung as beads.

Kerala temple practice

Weights

Jewellers in South and Southeast Asia traditionally used the seeds as small weights for gold.

Traditional trade practice

Modern notes on Red bead tree

Raw seeds contain toxic proteins. Roasting reduces them, and roasted seeds are eaten in parts of Southeast Asia.

It is planted as an ornamental and for its hard red heartwood, sometimes called red sandalwood in trade.

Red bead tree safety

Do not eat raw seeds. Teach children to tell manjadi from the black-eyed rosary pea, which can kill.

Ecology and sourcing

It is native from India to Southeast Asia and has been planted widely, becoming invasive in some Pacific and Caribbean islands.

Birds are attracted to the bright seeds, though they offer little food, which helps scatter them.

Related plants

Also in Fabaceae

Questions about Red bead tree

Is Red bead tree red sandalwood?

No. True red sandalwood is Pterocarpus santalinus.

Is Red bead tree the same as rosary pea?

No. Rosary pea seeds have a black spot and are deadly.

Can you eat the seeds of Red bead tree?

Not raw. They are only eaten roasted, in some regions.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.