Winged Bean Psophocarpus tetragonolobus

This unusual bean is a staple throughout the tropics. All parts of the plant are tasty and extremely nutritious, greens, beans, pods and stems. Some claim it could end world hunger. It also has cool flowers.

Native to Papua New Guinea, Winged Bean is perennial in warm climates or can be grown as an annual like peas. The young seedpods taste like green beans and the mature seeds are delicious fresh or roasted.

The bean pod has four wings with frilly edges, very cool. The blossoms look like sweet peas, and Winged Bean is an excellent nitrogen fixer.

Being a tropical plant, it will not flower if day length is more than 12 hours (at the equator, day and night are equally long). Further north or south, Winged Bean is most productive in spring and fall, but the vines will grow vigorously all summer.

Seeds should be soaked before planting to hasten germination. The plant grows quickly, reaching 10'-12' in a few weeks. Plant it now, anywhere in the world.

10 seeds