| Description | A vigorous ornamental vine grown by Thomas Jefferson (species plant). A tender perennial grown as an annual. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (LAB-lab) |
| Plant Type | All Plants, Perennial Tender |
| Hardiness Zone | 9-11 |
| Sunlight | full |
| Moisture | average, drought tolerant when established |
| Soil & Site | average |
| Temperature | not frost hardy |
| Flowers | pea-like, bi-color pink and purple, found on loose clusters on long stems extending above the foliage, short lived perennial in warmer regions |
| Fruit | purple, bean-like seed pods |
| Leaves | purplish on the underside |
| Stems | twinning stems |
| Dimensions | 10-12 feet |
| Maintenance | cut back to control spread |
| Propagation | seeds, soaking seeds 12 -24 hours hastens germination, can be sown in situ, best started in a pot such as "peat pot" so there is little root disturbance |
| Native Site | Africa |
| Cultivar Origin | Introduced in 1790. First American citation 1806. |
| Misc Facts | Almost all parts of the plant are edible. The dried seeds are toxic and should be well cooked in two changes of water. The young leaves along with the flowers can be eaten in salad; the older leaves can be cooked. The tuber should be boiled. (syn Dolichos lablab) |
| Notes & Reference | #51-Armitage's Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and Half-Hardy Perennials (Alan Arimitage), #62-Manual of Climbers and Wall Plants (J K Burras, Mark Griffiths), #108-Restoring American Gardens (Denise Wiles Adams), #27-Rodale's Annual Gardens (Paul Loewer) |
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