Dolichos lablab * Hyacinth Bean

Dolichos lablab is native to tropical Africa. From May through hard frost this Hyacinth Beans produce a glorious display of purple flowers. Dolichos lablab is semi-hardy and often makes a second season, it does here most of the time and our temperatures occaisionally get into the mid-teens where they are growing. I keep seeds and start it over each year regardless. I use Hyacinth Beans to shade the chicken coop in the summer or run up a bamboo teepee. The Purple Hyacinth Beans are good fresh and I have often used them in a stir fry. Dried beans are reported to give a bellyache unless they are cooked. The green variety of Dolichos lablab is a food crop in India. Thomas Jefferson thought well enough of it to grow Hyacinth Beans at Monticello. My Dolichos lablab vines grow to about 15 feet and twine around the wire of the coop. Both green and purple podded Hyacinth Beans are available through the links.