Purple Pods!!

Hyacinth Bean Vine or Lablab purpureus is

one of the coolest vines around.

These insanely deep purple pods come out on the plants around early September, as the plant blooms with a flower similar to a sweet pea. The racemes of small pink and white flowers stand out against vibrant green leaves with gorgeous purple veining and maroon stems.

The vines themselves can exceed 10' in height, in one season, so be sure if it is being used vertically, that it is well supported with a trellis, arbor, fence or wall.

Hyacinth Bean is a fun, easy to grow plant adaptable to most soils and if nothing else, an interesting conversation piece in your yard.

As an important side note...yes, the pod seeds are edible. However, due to the presence of cyanogenic glycoside, a toxic substance which can cause gastrointestinal issues, especially if ingested in larger amounts, the beans should be boiled thoroughly in water, which needs to be changed at least twice during the cooking process!