Dolichos lablab
DOE-lee-chos LAB-LAB
Annual vine for sun.
Tall climbing: Wide spreading
Spacing: 4-8’
HABIT: Purple flowers in late summer, followed by short, deep purple seedpods. Tall climbing annual vine, planted from pretty black and white seed sin the spring. Fast growing
and beautiful.
CULTURE: Very easy to grow in most soils.
The Hyacinth Bean (Dolichos lablab, syn. Lablab purpureus), also called Indian Bean and Egyptian Bean, is a plant of the family Fabaceae is a species of bean widespread as a food crop throughout the tropics, especially in Africa. It is also grown as forage and as an ornamental plant.
USES: Late summer color, shade for arbor or trellis.
PROBLEMS: Black fuzzy caterpillars. Good news is that they grow up to be beautiful butterflies.
NOTES: Name is now Lablab purpureus. Beans are edible but not very good. They should be cooked when very young and tender.
