According to the old mythological epic "Shiv Purana", Rudraksha was the favorite tree of Lord Shiva and it grew in Gauda land(present day Gangetic plains to foothills of Himalayas).

Botanical Name: Elaeocarpus Ganitrus Roxb.
Family : Tiliaceae, the Lime/Linden family.

Extents

The Rudraksha tree inhabits areas starting from Manila, Philippines and passing through Myanmar to entire North-East India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. However, in present era, the Rudraksha tree is localized only in Eastern Nepal due to suitable climatic conditions.

Rudraksha Tree

Rudraksha is a large, evergreen broad-leaved tree found in tropical and sub-tropical areas at the altitudes ranging from seacoast to 2,000 meters above the sea level. The tree is a perennial i.e. grows throughout the year and is about 50-200 feet high.

The main trunk of the Rudraksha tree is cylindrical with a grayish white and rough textured bark. In Nature, leafy crown of a Rudraksha tree takes a pyramidal shape. The leaves of Rudraksha tree are shinning green on the upper side with a dull leathery dorsal side.

Rudraksha flowers are white with fringed petals and they appear in April-May.

Rudraksha fruits appear in June and ripen by August-October. They are globular in shape with a fleshy exterior. The bead present inside is hard and tubercled.

Cultivation of Rudraksha Trees

Rudraksha farming is a difficult process due to the slow sprouting from the beads. Depending on the humidity of the soil, it usually takes 1-2 years for a tree to sprout. Rudraksha is grown in subtropical climatic regions with temperature ranges of 25-30 degree centigrade. The tree starts giving fruit after 7 years . A single Rudraksha tree bears beads in all different faces or mukhis at the same time. The higher mukhis or faces are very rare. Most common Rudraksha bead is the five faceted or panchmukhi.
The environment and location of Rudraksha trees plays a major role in the bead formation and the type of bead formed. e.g: The Himalayan beads seem larger, heavier and more powerful due to the environment they grow in.

Click here to view the pictures of Rudraksha forests