I was so amazed to learn that we have a Rudraksha forest in America and it's at the monastery in Hawaii, where they actually grow rudraksha that is used in chanting beads. In 1978 Gurudeva of Himalayan Academy, Kauai Hawaii's Hindu Monastery, planted 108 trees with his own hands. He dedicated this forest to pilgrims and all Kauaians, inviting them to sit among the sacred trees anytime from 8am to 4pm each day, to rest, meditate, have a picnic or tell stories to their children. Today the trees are fifty feet tall and produce hundreds of thousands fruits each year. Full story about growing and marketing of the holy beads can be found here: hinduismtoday.com/magazine/jul-aug-sept-2023/sacred-rudrakshas

* Rudraskha image and article link by permission of Himalayan Academy