Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Easy, breezy, beautiful Bixa! 😍
What’s Bixa? Biza orellana is known by the common name of lipstick tree – and yes, it’s key in making lipstick! 💄
This tree is native to Central America and produces flowers that are followed by spiny fruit pods that look like burs on chestnut trees. When these capsules are split open, they reveal seeds hidden in a layer of orange pulp. This pulp can be extracted and has been used for a variety of purposes including body paint, dyes, sunscreen, insect repellant, and lipstick! Katharine, our incredible Manager of Horticulture – Botanical, was kind enough to model Bixa for us. 😘
#YourZooYYC
Easy, breezy, beautiful Bixa! 😍
What’s Bixa? Biza orellana is known by the common name of lipstick tree – and yes, it’s key in making lipstick! 💄
This tree is native to Central America and produces flowers that are followed by spiny fruit pods that look like burs on chestnut trees. When these capsules are split open, they reveal seeds hidden in a layer of orange pulp. This pulp can be extracted and has been used for a variety of purposes including body paint, dyes, sunscreen, insect repellant, and lipstick! Katharine, our incredible Manager of Horticulture – Botanical, was kind enough to model Bixa for us. 😘
#YourZooYYC
