Hyacinth Bean, Bonavist-bean
Lablab purpureus

Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Pink. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Early fall, Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Spreading or horizontal.

Lablab purpureus is a PERENNIAL CLIMBER growing to 2 m (6ft 7in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 2

Where it is found

Not known in a truly wild situation.

Probably originated in the Tropics but has been cultivated for so long that its origins are obscure.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

The mature seed is edible as long as it is thoroughly cooked. It has a mild flavour, is rich in protein and can be used as a staple food. The seed can also be prepared as 'tofu' or be fermented into 'tempeh' in the same way that soya beans are used in Japan. The seed can also be sprouted and eaten raw, when it is comparable to mung bean sprouts. A nutritional analysis is available. The tender young seedpods and immature seeds can be eaten raw or cooked. They can be used as a green vegetable like French beans. They are also used as a curry vegetable. The immature seedpod contains 3.2% protein, 0.8% fat, 5.4% carbohydrate, 0.81% ash. It is rich in vitamin B1. Leaves - they must be cooked. They can also be dried for later use. The leaves are used as a greens just like spinach. They contain up to 28% protein (dry weight?). Flowers - raw or cooked in soups and stews. Root - large and starchy.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Seedpod: things such as Okra, French and Runner beans.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The plant (though the exact part used is not stipulated) is anticholesterolemic, antidote (to most forms of poison), antivinous, carminative, hypoglycaemic. Prolongs co-agulation time. It is used in the treatment of cholera, vomiting, diarrhoea, leucorrhoea, gonorrhoea, alcoholic intoxication and globefish poisoning. The flowers are antivinous, alexiteric and carminative. The stem is used in the treatment of cholera. The juice from the pods is used to treat inflamed ears and throats. The fully mature seeds are anthelmintic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, digestive, febrifuge and stomachic. They are used in the treatment of sunstroke, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, enteritis, abdominal pain, alcoholism and arsenism. The seed is well dried and then roasted before use.

Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.

Anticholesterolemic: Prevents the build up of cholesterol.

Antidote: Counters poisoning.

Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.

Antivinous: Treats addiction to alcohol

Aphrodisiac: Increases the sexual appetite.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.

Cholera: Used in the treatment of cholera - an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria.

Digestive: Aids digestion.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Hypoglycaemic: Reduces the levels of sugar in the blood.

Miscellany: Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Other

Rating: 0

Plants are fairly fast growing and the bacteria on the roots enrich the soil with nitrogen. This makes them a good green manure crop, though they are only really suitable for climates warmer than Britain.

Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.

Green manure: Fast-growing plants that can be used to increase the fertility of the soil.

Miscellany: A rag-bag of items that are difficult to categorise.

Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen: Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae.

Agroforestry Services: Understory legume: Legume vegetation, especially the trees and shrubs growing between the forest canopy and the forest floor.

Fodder: Pasture: Enclosed tracts of farmland mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs (non-grass herbaceous plants).

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Staple Crop: Protein: (16+ percent protein, 0-15 percent oil). Annuals include beans, chickpeas, lentils, cowpeas, and pigeon peas. Perennials include perennial beans, nuts, leaf protein concentrates, and edible milks.

Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen: Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae.

Agroforestry Services: Understory legume: Legume vegetation, especially the trees and shrubs growing between the forest canopy and the forest floor.

Fodder: Pasture: Enclosed tracts of farmland mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs (non-grass herbaceous plants).

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Staple Crop: Protein: (16+ percent protein, 0-15 percent oil). Annuals include beans, chickpeas, lentils, cowpeas, and pigeon peas. Perennials include perennial beans, nuts, leaf protein concentrates, and edible milks.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Arbor, Container. Easily grown in an ordinary garden soil so long as the temperature is sufficient. Succeeds in relatively poor soils so long as they are well-drained. Plants grow best at temperatures between 28 - 30°c though they tolerate mean temperatures as low as 9°c. Prefers a rich moist soil in a warm sheltered position. Prefers a well-drained soil with a high organic matter content and a pH between 5.5 and 6. Some varieties are drought resistant. A perennial species, it is not cold-hardy in Britain, though it is occasionally grown as an annual in the ornamental garden. It requires a minimum temperature of 7 - 10°c if it is to survive winter conditions. The hyacinth bean is commonly cultivated in warm temperate and tropical climates for its edible seed, there are many named varieties varying in height from 60cm to 2 metres. Short-day, long-day and daylength-neutral varieties are available, you should use day-length-neutral or long-day varieties in northern latitudes. Plants are fairly fast-growing, young pods are ready to harvest from 70 - 120 days after sowing. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. Special Features:Edible, Fragrant flowers.

Propagating it: Seed - pre-soak for 2 hours in warm water and sow in early spring in a greenhouse in a fairly rich soil. Either sow 2 seeds to a pot and thin to the strongest plant, or sow in a tray and prick out into individual pots when the plants are large enough to handle. Grow on fast and plant out after the last expected frosts. The seed germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 25°c.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial Climber

Hardiness: 9-11

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

The raw seed is poisonous.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

L. vulgaris. Dolichos lablab. L.