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.          

Thomas Jefferson, the Gardener.