Lucky Bean Seeds

'It means a lot to me, as a single mother. Your support has enabled me to take my children to school and support my siblings. I can’t thank you enough team Mulberry Mongoose you are the best.' - Chola, local artisan

This bright red seed comes from the indigenous Aeruginosa abyssinica or Lucky bean tree. When the tree flowers, it is a signal to plant crops hence the nickname Lucky. The seeds are very small making them hard to work with, but their vibrancy is a joy to behold.

We buy approximately 10,000 seeds each year. Chola, single mother of 2 and sole carer of 4 dependents, works hard to collect these iconic seeds; it is her only income.

Chola ducks under thick bushes to collect 100’s of pods. Lucky bean bushes are found next to the infamous buffalo bean creeper which, when disturbed, sheds needle like invisible sticks that get into your skin. Chola bravely and expertly maneuvers to avoid these. On returning home she sits on a grass matt outside her home and painstakingly opens each pod emptying the bright red beads into baskets. She then sifts through them to remove the brown rotten beads, so they don’t contaminate the bags that she then sells to us. We are Chola’s only client for this unique craft.

On receiving and quality controlling the tiny red seeds our team painstakingly drill each one to use in our Lucky bean and Zambezi Collections.

Important information: Despite their role of signaling the coming of the rains, lucky beans hate water and turn a dark color immediately. Keep them dry to preserve them.