Hyacinth bean vine grows quickly and acts as an ornamental plant, food source, butterfly magnet, and as a beautiful privacy hedge.
It likes enough water with good drainage, but the soil should be moist, not wet, so as not to drown in heat. Early summer growth with flowers and stems continues through the summer. As a dead title, no maintenance is required.
Hyacinth beans first appear with violet-tinged green leaves, each with three leaflets in the shape of an oval triangle.
It blooms abundantly with lavender purple, white or pink with light red colors and sweet pea-like flowers. These clusters grow on short stems and later produce beautiful purple fruits. Each pod is approximately 3-6 inches long and contrasts sharply with the leaf.
Early leaves and flowers are edible and eaten raw or steamed like spinach. Although any of these can be the cause of a serious disease, you need to be properly diagnosed.
Dried beans are poisonous. Don’t eat!
The hyacinth bean originated in tropical Africa and has been around since the New Stone Age in India. The Hyacinth Bean Vine is popular in the South, where it is commonly grown for ornamental value and to provide shade and privacy.
It is not a bean but a member of the pea family.
At the time of annual planting in Ohio, the soil temperature should be above 50 degrees. Plant 1½ inches deep and soak the beans in warm water to speed germination and they will open and grow faster. You can always start inside first and be ready to plant outside after the last frost. It is a climber so make sure your trellis or pole is sturdy and at least 8 feet long. I grew mine along the clothesline pole and continued along the lines on both sides once it reached the end of the pole itself. Absolutely beautiful vines and care free on one side of my gazebo, it was perfect.
Kim Harsanje is a master gardener for the Sandusky and Ottawa County Extension offices.
Register for the 2023 Master Gardener class
If you’ve been following and enjoying our weekly gardening articles, why not join the next Ohio State Master Gardener class in 2023? You will learn all the gardening tips and tricks.
Is that exactly what it means? Well, you asked a good question. The Master Gardener Program offered through Ohio State Extension is a volunteer program that trains you in the science and art of gardening. They then educate the public in gardening and horticultural knowledge. Sounds good – right.
The Sandusky/Ottawa County Master Gardeners are partnering with The Ohio State University to give residents the opportunity to become master gardeners: learn the do’s and don’ts of gardening and fix the mistakes. This unique program has just begun. In the year In the 1970s in Washington state, Dr. David Gibby found more residents calling him for information than he had on hand. He started a program to train volunteers to do outreach work for home gardeners.
This educational program is distributed in all 50 states and several countries. In Ohio, the program began in the late 1970s. We answer gardening questions, hold an annual plant sale, and provide community education at various community events such as the Fremont Farmers Market, Schedel Arboretum and Garden, Grove Fest at Hayes President Spiegel Grove, and Creek Bend Farm. Become an “Ask a Master Gardener” and get involved by answering gardening questions. You’ll find the entire Ohio State University Department of Agriculture at your fingertips to find the answer.
We provide space for a community garden. There are currently 26 active Master Gardeners in Sandusky and Ottawa counties who have gone through training classes. After completion, you will be required to complete 20 hours of volunteer time and 10 hours of study each year. What could be easier? The class meets one day a week from 9-3 for 10 weeks. And we offer a lot of great food during the session. Yum
Contact our office at 419-334-6340 for more information.