Job’s Tears Seeds – 10 Count

Southern Seeds was founded in 2019 by Ryan and Kim Dorn and became Seed Therapy in 2025. The family business moved its operations to the Dallas, Texas, area in 2023. Drawing on generations of growing experience, the team focuses on dependable seeds, personal customer service, and helping gardeners succeed. Its work includes relationships with American farms and seed donations to schools and community gardens.

Job's Tears (Coix Lacryma-jobi) - 10 Seeds

Description:

Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) is a grasslike plant renowned for its hard, edible seeds that mature to a uniform black and can be used to make rosaries, necklaces and other pieces of jewelry. Originally native to southeast Asia and Polynesia, the plant grows wild today in parts of Europe and Central America. Job's tears can be useful in a home garden for its attractive foliage and also as a source of seeds.

Job's tears is a tropical perennial suitable for culture year-round in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. In colder areas, it can be grown as an annual or indoors in a greenhouse or a warm, sunny room. The plant is about 3 feet tall and has erect stems with grassy leaves that appear individually along each stem. In warm areas where it is a perennial, its leaves appear in the early spring. Its flowers, which are tiny, green and inconspicuous, develop from July into October, hanging down in long clusters from each stem. Eventually, yellow tassels develop on the flower clusters, followed by seeds that start out green, turn gray and then become shiny and evenly black when ripe, later in the fall.

Culinary Uses:

Seeds of Job’s Tears are a delicious nutritious Ancient Asian grain that is going to bypass rice and quinoa as the new gluten-free SUPER grain.

Planting Instructions:

Job’s tears plants are an ancient cereal grain most often grown as an annual, but may survive as a perennial where frosts do not occur.

Scrape the seeds with a file, knife or sandpaper and then soak seeds overnight. Direct sow outdoors in the spring after the threat of frost at a rate of 2 seeds per plant, 1/4" deep with about 10-12" between plants. Likewise, you can grow them indoors starting them in late winter through spring. Sow the seeds in flats or individual pots using a sterile starting mix keeping them a well lit spot at room temperature. Keep moist until germination which usually occurs within 4 weeks. Once seedlings emerge, keep them lightly moist and in full sun turning their container every day so they grow straight. Once the seedlings begin to grow, move them to large pots or transplant outside once the temps remain above 60°.

Soil Requirement: Moist, pH 6.1 - 7.8

Environment: Full sun to partial shade

Average Germ Time: 14 - 28 days, soak seed overnight in warm water before planting

Light Required: Yes

Depth: 1/4 inch

Sowing Rate: 2 seeds per plant

Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination occurs

Plant Spacing: 10 - 12 inches

Explore more seeds growing and garden seeds and growing essentials at BuyAmerican.

• Non-GMO
• American grown seeds
• Ornamental grass
• Seeds used in jewelry making
• USDA Zones: 9-10, grown as an annual in colder climates

Sold as seeds for planting. Select this packet by its variety, quantity, and growing requirements; it is not a live plant.

Country of origin: United States. The supplier identifies this product as American-grown.

Keep unused seeds dry and cool in a clearly labeled, closed container. Protect the packet from humidity and temperature swings, and retain the variety name and sowing notes for your next planting. Use the species-specific directions below when deciding whether to start indoors, sow directly, soak seeds, or provide a cold period. Germination and growth vary with seed handling and local growing conditions.

For general seed-starting and storage guidance, see University of Minnesota Extension’s seed-starting guide. Use the variety-specific packet directions for this product.

Shipping for this product

This product ships directly from Southern Seeds, now Seed Therapy. The supplier currently lists standard processing of 1–3 business days, increasing to approximately 3–5 business days during the busy late-December-through-April-or-May seed season. Processing is separate from carrier transit time. Its published standard shipping rate is $4.99 per order, with free standard shipping at a merchandise subtotal of $35 or more after discounts and before taxes. The options, offers, and final charges displayed at BuyAmerican checkout govern this order; purchases from other makers may ship separately. Carrier delivery dates are estimates. The supplier ships within the United States and may restrict certain seeds by destination.

Returns and seed guarantee

For this product, Southern Seeds/Seed Therapy publishes a 60-day satisfaction guarantee, offering an eligible replacement or product-price refund for concerns reported within 60 days of delivery. Original shipping is generally excluded. Preference-based physical returns generally require customer-paid return shipping; supplier errors or damaged or defective items receive an appropriate resolution without an additional return-shipping charge. Contact BuyAmerican at hello@buyamerican.mom with your order number, product name, and concern before mailing anything back. BuyAmerican’s standard return policy provides a 30-day request period for eligible unused items in original packaging. Ask BuyAmerican to coordinate any supplier guarantee request for your marketplace order.

Read the BuyAmerican return policy or contact BuyAmerican order support before a return.