If you’re looking for a climbing vine that is easy to grow and has the most beautiful bright rosy-purple flowers, say hello to the Hyacinth Bean Vine! A couple years back, I was watching a gardening YouTube video where the gardener had mentioned she basically popped these Hyacinth Bean Vine seeds in the soil next to her arbor, forgot about it, and came back to a stunning display of purple flowers and dark green leaves vining their way up the arbor for a stunning entrance to her garden.
Perfect. That’s exactly the type of care I wanted to give to a seed and the extravagant result I was hoping for in return! I started doing my research on this beautiful purple Hyacinth Bean Vine, and sure enough, other gardeners mentioned how easy it is to grow, and how beautifully the climbing vine stands out in their garden.
*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. All opinions and recommendations are my own.
What Are Hyacinth Bean Vines?
Hyacinth Bean Vines (Lablab purpureus, Dolichos lablab) are ornamental tropical vines grown as a garden annual. The vine is native to tropical regions of Africa and it can still be grown as a perennial in other tropical regions (typically zones 10-11). But for all other zones, it is a great annual vine!
The Hyacinth Bean Vine produces beautiful dark green leaves with purple veining, stunning bright rose-purple flowers, glossy purple seed pods, and unique black and white seeds.
Traditionally, these plants are widely grown in northern Africa and parts of Asia as a vegetable crop for the flowers, leaves, immature seeds and pods (which both can be cooked and eaten). However, mature, dried seeds are toxic.
Hyacinth Bean Vines are vigorous growers and can reach 10-15 feet in a single season! They make a fantastic screen and can easily be grown along a trellis, fence, or arbor. The vine has a twining growth habit, so as long as you provide support, the Hyacinth Bean Vine will truly take off. We actually grew ours twining up an unsightly old gutter spout!
Fun Fact: Thomas Jefferson brought the Hyacinth Bean to popularity in the United States when he began growing it in his Monticello garden in 1804 (and it is still grown there today!). The story goes that a fellow gardener/plantsmen had brought the seed back from a trip to Europe, and it quickly became a favorite at the famous garden grounds.
Why You’ll Love Hyacinth Bean Vine
Even if growing plants from seeds intimidates you, fear not! The Hyacinth Bean Vine is a great seed for a beginner to experiment with.
- Easy to grow from seed
- Requires little care
- Given minimal support, the vine will grow vigorously
- Can grow 10-15 feet in a single season
- Makes an excellent screen
- Produces stunning bright rose-purple flowers
- Has beautiful dark green leaves with purple veining
- Produces unique, ornamental, glossy purple seed pods
- The unique black and white seeds are large and easy to harvest- perfect to save for next planting season!
- Since it is grown from seed, the plant is very inexpensive for a stunning garden display!
- Long bloom time from early to mid-summer through fall
- Flowers continuously
- When flowers fade, beautiful ornamental pods appear
- Pollinator friendly: bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love these purple flowers!
Hyacinth Bean Vine Characteristics
- Plant Type:Â Annual Climbing Vine, Tender Annual (Perennial for tropical zones 10-11)
- Height:Â 10-15 feet tall
- Bloom Description:Â Bright rose-purple flowers (may also come in white or pink varieties)
- Foliage:Â Dark green leaves with purple veining
- Light Preference:Â Full sun to part shade (will grow best in full sun)
- Water Preference:Â Average/medium watering in well-drained soils (can tolerate some drought)
- Bloom time:Â Typically, June through fall
- Maintenance:Â Very low
- Attracts: Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies
How To Grow Hyacinth Bean Vine
While you may start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your last frost date, it is most common (and easiest!) to direct sow the Hyacinth Bean.
- Find a spot in your garden that gets full sun (some shade is fine), and has well-draining soil.
- Install a trellis or support structure.
- To improve germination, soak the seeds in water for 12 hours (or overnight) before sowing. Always soak the seeds in a cup with a cover, away from pets and children! (**Caution: the dried seeds are poisonous if ingested!).
- Tip: If you are soaking other varieties of seeds at the same time, always label your cup so not to confuse with other seeds!
- Direct sow Hyacinth Bean seeds after the last spring frost, and when night time temperatures are consistently above 50â°F. This allows appropriate growing temperatures, as the soil will have enough warmth. (Remember purple Hyacinth Beans are native to tropical regions of Africa, so the seeds will not germinate in cold soil.)
- Plant the Hyacinth Bean seeds in well-drained soil, 1 inch below the soil’s surface, and spaced about 12″ apart (can be flexible with spacing).
- Water soil after sowing seeds.
- Typical germination occurs within 7-14 days.
How To Harvest Hyacinth Bean Seeds
Harvesting Hyacinth Bean seeds is a very simple process! You simply wait for the Hyacinth Bean pod to mature, which causes the pod to dry and shrivel up as it is still on the vine. Once the pod is dried (it won’t look “showy/ornamental” anymore), pick the pods off the vine, split the pods open, remove the seeds (they are large and very easy to remove), and store the dried seeds in a seed envelope for next year’s planting season! If you’ve never harvested seeds before, this is a very easy seed to start with!
(**Again, as a reminder, keep the mature dried seeds away from pets and children!)
You’ll be able to harvest SO many seeds from one Hyacinth Bean Vine plant that it’ll truly be the gift that keeps on giving every summer for your garden ð
Where To Buy Hyacinth Bean Seeds
The most common variety of Hyacinth Bean Vines are referred to as “Purple Hyacinth Bean Vines”, but there are other names such as “Ruby Moon Hyacinth Bean Vines”, “Hyacinth Pole Bean”, and even beautiful white varieties such as “Silver Moon Hyacinth Bean Vine”. While you can purchase these varieties in local garden centers, I’ve had the best luck via reputable online sellers.
These are some of the recommended sources for where to buy Hyacinth Bean seeds:
Helpful Gardening Supplies:
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Happy Gardening!
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