Hyacinth Bean has been grown as food for the beans, flowers and leaves in Africa. Asia and the Caribbean. In this country, it has been used for used as forage, hay, and silage for cattle. It is also used to fix nitrogen in fallow land. Currently, the most common use in this country is as an ornamental crop in the cut flower industry. It is valued for its late summer flowers and colorful, purple peapods. Hyacinth bean is a twining vine with purplish stems and can be grown as an annual vine in the home garden for the ornamental flowers and bean pods. Grow on a sturdy trellis to support the weight of the vine. It prefers light moist well-drained soils in sun. Plant after danger of frost has passed. It does well in hot humid climates.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Pinnately divided leaves with 3 large leaflets 3-6 inches long. Each egg-shaped leaflet is smooth above and shorthaired below.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Irregular
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
The fragrant flowers are in elongated clusters, pea-shaped and white, pink, or purple
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Purple/Lavender
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
1-3 inches long
Fruit detail
Purple seedpods are 2 to 4 in. long smooth, flat, pointed, and contain 2 to 4 seeds. Seeds can be white, cream, pale brown, dark brown, red, black, or mottled depending on the variety.
Stem color
Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Purplish stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tropical Africa
Wildlife value
Attracts hummingbirds, a good choice for food plots and will attract deer.
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit; Seeds
Harvest time
Fall
Edibility
Mature dried seeds are edible if thoroughly boiled, changing the water several times. Young immature pods can be cooked and eaten.
Uses (ethnobotany)
It has been used in the Philippines and China as a stimulant, to reduce fever, to reduce flatulence, to stimulate digestion, and as an antispasmodic. In Namibia, the root has been used to treat heart conditions.
Toxic only if large quantities are eaten. Weakness, vomiting, labored breathing, twitching, stupor, convulsions from mature dried seeds. TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN.