That's official speak for hyacinth bean. Funny name, beautiful plant, and one of the few vines I've been able to grow from seed this summer. I had no luck with moonflower, something I've craved in my garden for several years now, not just for the huge white flowers but for the scent.
There are a couple of gourd vines growing out front again, which is fun. Once established, they spurt about six inches a night - or so it seems. Their small white blossoms come out late in the day and if pollinated, produce little gourds that practically start elongating before your eyes.
The hyacinth bean, which has the hilarious botanical name of Lablab purpureus , is a first for me this summer. I started it in a pot on the back patio, then moved the pot out front so it could climb along a fence. Several more Lablabs are growing in the garden out back, twirling around some wrought iron and up a couple of walls. Even the tendrils are pretty. They have an more buoyant spring, a darker color, than most other vines.
Hyacinth bean is an annual that grows to about 20 feet and makes quite a splash with its purplish-green leaves and rosy-purple flowers. Yesterday the first blooms opened up on my vines. It was cause for celebration. I've seen photos of this flower, which is like a string of tiny orchids and supposedly very fragrant, but I've not had a close encounter before.
It's getting to be very popular, but like so many plants we "discover," this old bean's been around for a long time. Thomas Jefferson grew it on the arbor of his vegetable garden at Monticello and supposedly it's still being grown there.
This historic link is probably lost on the folks walking past my fledgling vine, as it was for me until I "discovered" hyacinth bean a few years ago. But perhaps it will inspire someone to ask about it or plant one.
We could create a corridor of color and fragrance up and down the street. Call it Jefferson Walk.
Imagine. All this from a bean!
