Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus) Gardening
Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus syn. Dolichos lablab) is an edible bean in the family Fabaceae. It is also known as Dolique lablab, Egyptian kidney bean, Lablab bean, Papaya bean, Poor man's bean, Val Bean, Kachang Sepat, Mouse-ear Vine, and Indian Bean. It is widespread as a food crop throughout the tropics, especially in tropical Africa, China, Indonesia, and India. Lablab is an Egytian or Arabian name in describing the dull rattling sound the seeds made inside the dry pod. Hyacinth bean is often grown as forage and ornamental plant. It is also a medicinal plant and a poisonous plant.
Hyacinth bean is a trailing vine, reaching up to 4.5 m high, and is grown for its edible seedpods. It has purple flowers and striking purple-colored seedpods, 5-8 cm long. There are many varieties of Hyacinth Bean that produce beautiful, fragrant, white, pink or purple flowers and leaves in different colors. Hyacinth bean is a good choice for screen on a trellis or fence. It is fast-growing and produces fragrant blue flowers that attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. The roots, young leaves, flowers, seedpods, and seeds are all edible.
Hyacinth bean pods are thin, slightly curved and resemble a lima bean pod with corrugated edge. Each pod contains 4-6 red, brown or white seeds. The bean pods are usually harvested young for vegetable use. However, dry seeds are poisonous due to high content of cyanogenic glucosides, and can only be eaten after prolonged boiling. The leaves are used as greens and cooked like spinach, and the water is discarded after blanching.
Hyacinth beans have mild and lightly warm nature, with a sweet taste. They can tonify spleen and stomach.
Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus)
Author: Hardyplants (public domain)
Hyacinth bean
Author: Meneerke bloem (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Hyacinth bean
Author: Caduser2003 (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)
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