Hyacinth Bean Newsletter

Hyacinth Bean

Dolichos lablab (DOE-lee-chos LAB-LAB)
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I mistakenly called it Jack bean when I first saw this beautiful vine. It’s an easy-to-grow annual. Judy and I included a few seeds in our Holiday Greetings cards several years ago. I hope that at least some of those recipients gave it a try. I made it the subject of this week’s newsletter for two reasons. First, it’s about time to collect the pretty black and white seeds to save for next year’s planting. Also, the first person to write about and give this plant some press (about 200 years ago) was Thomas Jefferson at Monticello in Virginia. The shot above is the hyacinth bean vine growing in Thomas Jefferson’s garden. More about our recent visit to those gardens in the next newsletter.