Dolichos lablab seed

LATIN NAME: Lablab purpureus

COMMON NAME: Hyacinth Bean

The hyacinth bean climbs with its broad, three-part leaves and the racemes of the small, white or purple flowers, and the whole climber covers the fences and the trellises with the fine, leafy growth. The vigorous, twining, annual or short-lived perennial climber carries the broad, three-part leaves with the three broad, ovate leaflets and the long, upright racemes of the many small, white, pink or purple, pea-like flowers through the warm season, one of the fine, bright sights of the warm garden, drawing the bees, to be followed by the short, broad, flattened pods with the few glossy, dark, round beans. The beans have a very long record as the fine, nourishing beans of the warm tables, and the climber is a fine, historic presence of the warm garden. It is a climber of the open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The hyacinth bean is a historic subject of the plant science, and the upright racemes keep showing up in the work on the food legumes. The way the long, upright racemes of the many small, pea-like flowers form on the twining stems has been examined closely, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the food legumes, the flattened pods and the members of the pea family. The glossy beans and the twining habit have also made it a fine study climber, and the hyacinth bean is a regular subject of the work on the upright racemes of the warm world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The hyacinth bean is a fine, bright climber of the warm garden and the study collection. The broad, three-part leaves with the three broad, ovate leaflets cover the fences and the trellises with the fine, leafy growth, one of the fine, bright sights of the warm garden, drawing the bees, and the beans have a very long record as the fine, nourishing beans of the warm tables, the young pods and the dried beans coming to the soups, the stews and the warm plates of the old kitchens, while the long, upright racemes of the many small, white, pink or purple, pea-like flowers open through the warm season, to be followed by the short, broad, flattened pods with the few glossy, dark, round beans. It is one of the fine choices for the warm garden, the fence and the study collection, and it has been written about in the culinary and the agricultural papers for the nourishing beans and the very long history. It is a fine, bright climber of the open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained garden.

Give the young climbers the deep, rich, moist bed, and the leafy growth will cover the fence by the warm months.

To grow the hyacinth bean from seed, press the large, brown seeds lightly into the surface of the pot of fine, sandy soil, leave them uncovered, keep the pot in a bright, open spot and water gently, then set the young plants out against the fence. The seedlings are up within a week or two and grow on fast. With the sun and the deep, rich, moist, well-drained ground, the leafy growth will cover the fence by the warm months.

When to plant: Spring & summer
Where to grow: Full sun
How to grow: Sow seeds 20cm in between into rows about 40cm apart . Make sure the soil is moist but well drained. Climbing support is required.
When to harvest: Harvest the pods when still tender.