Sword Bean
Canavalia gladiata

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

Canavalia gladiata is a ANNUAL/PERENNIAL growing to 10 m (32ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. 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 and can grow in saline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 10

Where it is found

Not known in the wild.

Tropical Asia and Africa.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Benin, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Central Africa, Central America, China, Congo DR, Cuba, East Africa, Fiji, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guianas, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, SE Asia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Young seedpods - raw or more commonly cooked and used as a vegetable. The pod is 20 - 30cm long and 2cm wide. Seeds - cooked. Thorough boiling is necessary in order to destroy a toxic alkaloid. The seedcoats are often removed, then the seeds are cooked in two or three changes of water. Large pods, 30-45cm long, are produced towards the end of summer and the seed gradually swell for several weeks (they fatten much more slowly than peas). It requires practice to identify when they’re fully matured, otherwise you don’t get much food from a pod. A haricot bean alternative!

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

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

Medicine

Rating: 2

Urease is extracted from the seed; it is used in clinical laboratories for the in-vitro determination of urea in human blood. In Korea it is used in the treatment of vomiting, abdominal dropsy, kidney-related lumbago, asthma, obesity, stomach-ache, dysentery, coughs, headache, intercostal neuralgia, epilepsy, schizophrenia, inflammatory diseases and swellings. A soap is marketed there which is based on extracts of sword bean; it is used for the treatment of athlete’s foot and acne. In Japan it is effective in treating ozena, haemorrhoids, pyorrhoea, otitis media, boils and cancers, all kinds of inflammatory diseases and atopic dermatitis.

Antiasthmatic: Treats asthma.

Antihaemorrhoidal: Treats haemorrhoids (piles). This would probably be best added to another heading.

Antiinflammatory: Reduces inflammation of joints, injuries etc.

Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.

Cancer: Used in the treatment of cancer.

Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.

Epilepsy: Used in the treatment of Epilepsy - a disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures.

Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Other

Rating: 3

The plant is sometimes grown as a green manure crop or as a temporary ground cover. Other Uses: As an ornamental climber on fences and houses (but short lived). It is believed to repel snakes. The seed is used as feed for cattle and chicken, but if eaten in considerable quantity dry seeds may cause poisoning (Bosch, 2004).

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

Soap making: Plants used as an ingredient in making soaps. Does not include the essential oils, dyes and oils that are also used in making soap.

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

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

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.

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

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

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Ground Cover: Ground Cover

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

Grows well in lowland tropical areas, succeeding at elevations up to 1,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range15 - 30c, but can tolerate 12 - 36c. The foliage can not tolerate frost, but any mature beans remain unaffected. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 800 - 1,800mm, but tolerates 600 - 2,600mm. An easily grown plant, it is not fussy about soil type or fertility, though it prefers a soil rich in organic matter. Tolerates some salinity in the soil. Plants are shade tolerant. A deep rooted plant, it is drought resistant when established and can also tolerate some waterlogging. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6, tolerating 4.3 - 7.5. Young pods can be harvested about 3 - 5 months after sowing, the mature seeds in 6 - 10 months. Average yields of dry seed are about 0.7 - 1.5 tonnes/ha, while the optimum is 4.6 tonnes/ha. 40- 5 0 tonnes/ha of green manure/green vegetation can be obtained. A short day plant, often developing a bushy habit, but more commonly a climbing plant. 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. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.

Propagating it: Seed - sow in situ, placing the seeds 2 - 3cm deep in the soil. The seed germinates in about 72 hours.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Annual/Perennial

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Fast

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

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

The mature seeds contain toxic alkaloids. These can be destroyed by thoroughly boiling the seeds twice in salt water.

Grow 4-7m high in one season, but they are considered not invasive as they’re not a reliably perennial. They can be cut back hard in autumn, Plants often die in winter.

Its other names

Local names

Abai, Abbo, Alad, Baikang, Bara sem, Carabanz, Chemma kaaya, Dau-rua, Habas, Jangli Sem, Kacang parasman, Kacang polong, Kachang hantu, Kachang nyonya, Kachang parang, Kaos parasman, Kara pedang, Kara wedung, Koas bakol, Lal kadsumbal, Magtambokau, Makhan shim, Naga sem, Nam-nawbaw, Namtaipee, Pe-dalet, Pe-dama, Pe-damouk, Pe-det, Pe-gale, Pe-naung-ni, Rar bu-shot kwen-e, Sanndaek triehs, Segapu thambattai, Sem, Shembi avare, Tarvardi, Thampattai, Thua phraa, Tioeuhs, Tua pra, Tumbekai, Yerra tamma.

Synonyms

Canavalia incurva Thouars Canavalia machaeroides (DC.) Steud. Canavalia maxima Thouars Dolichos gladiatus Jacq. Dolichos incurvus Thunb. Malocchia gladiate (Jacq.) Savi

Sword Bean Canavalia gladiata