Putranjiva (Putranjiva roxburghii)

Putranjiva roxburghii is an evergreen tree with drooping branches and glossy, wavy-edged leaves, widely planted along roads and in temple compounds in north India. Its hard, wrinkled seed stones are strung into rosaries for children. Its name means “life of the son”, and products marketed on that name claim to help couples have sons. No plant can influence a baby’s sex, and sex selection is illegal in India.

Botanical name: Putranjiva roxburghii Wall.
Family: Putranjivaceae
Tamil: Karupala
Hindi: Putranjiva
Parts used: Seed (bead, not food)
Habit: Evergreen bead tree; not a fertility capsule
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise Putranjiva

It is a medium-sized evergreen tree with long, weeping branches that give it a soft, drooping outline.

The leaves are leathery, glossy, dark green and oblong, with slightly wavy edges, in two rows along the twigs.

Small yellowish flowers, male and female on separate trees, are followed by olive-like fruits with a hard, pointed, wrinkled stone.

The stones are what is strung into beads and rosaries.

Traditional use of Putranjiva

Beads and blessings

Garlands of putranjiva seeds are tied on children for protection in north Indian households.

North Indian household practice

Ayurveda

Putranjiva appears in classical formulas for gynaecological conditions.

Ayurvedic materia medica

Modern notes on Putranjiva

There is no scientific evidence that any herb can make a pregnancy more likely to be a boy, and India’s PCPNDT Act prohibits sex selection.

The tree is valued as an evergreen avenue and screen tree that tolerates pollution.

Putranjiva safety

Do not use products that promise to influence a baby’s sex. Fertility concerns need a doctor.

Ecology and sourcing

It grows wild in moist and dry forests across India and Sri Lanka, extending to Southeast Asia and New Guinea.

Birds eat the fruit, and the dense evergreen crown shelters birds year-round.

It tolerates drought and pruning, so north Indian cities often clip it into hedges and screens.

Related plants

Questions about Putranjiva

Can Putranjiva help me have a son?

No. No plant can affect a baby’s sex.

What older names does Putranjiva roxburghii go by?

Drypetes roxburghii.

What are the beads?

The hard, wrinkled stones of its fruit.

Is Putranjiva native to India?

Yes. It grows wild across much of the country.

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.