Annatto is Bixa orellana, a small tree from tropical America whose seeds are coated in a bright orange-red pigment. That pigment colours Cheddar and Red Leicester cheese, butter and many snack foods, and it is listed on labels as annatto or E160b. In India it is a homestead and hedge plant, sometimes called the lipstick tree.
- Botanical name
- Bixa orellana L.
- Family
- Bixaceae
- Tamil
- Japhra
- Hindi
- Latkan
- Parts used
- Seed coat (colour)
- Habit
- Seed-coat dye; saffron is Crocus
- Last updated
- 2026-10-25
How to recognise Annatto
The leaves are broad, heart-shaped and pointed, on long stalks. The flowers are pink to white, about five centimetres across, with a mass of stamens.
The fruit is a rounded or heart-shaped capsule covered in soft red or brown bristles, in conspicuous clusters at the branch tips. When dry it splits open to show about fifty seeds.
Each seed is coated in a waxy, intensely coloured red-orange layer. Rub it with a finger and it stains at once, which explains the lipstick name.
Saffron, Crocus sativus, is a completely different plant whose colour comes from the flower’s stigmas, not seeds.
Traditional use of Annatto
Americas
Indigenous peoples of South and Central America used the paste as body paint and food colour, and achiote remains a staple seasoning in Mexican and Caribbean cooking.
Latin American practice
Kitchen and dye
In India and Southeast Asia the seeds are used to tint rice, curries and oils, and to dye cloth.
Homestead practice
Modern notes on Annatto
The colour comes from carotenoids called bixin and norbixin. The food industry uses them as a natural alternative to synthetic dyes.
Annatto is generally regarded as safe in food quantities, though rare allergic reactions are documented.
Annatto safety
Use it as a food colour in normal amounts. People with known reactions to annatto should check labels, because it is common in processed foods.
Ecology and sourcing
It is native to tropical America and widely planted across the tropics. It is grown commercially for pigment in Brazil, Peru, Kenya and India.
It is easy to grow from seed and makes a colourful hedge in humid gardens.
Related plants
Questions about Annatto
Is annatto the same as saffron?
No. Saffron comes from crocus flowers. Annatto is a seed coating.
Why is Annatto called the lipstick tree?
The seed coating smears like red lipstick.
What is E160b?
The European food-additive code for annatto colour.
Sources
- Bixa orellana L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q147701 (Bixa orellana)
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.