Hyacinth bean vine

It was such a pretty shot today

Your right, a really pretty shot!

are yours finally blooming Donna?

No! and I am getting rather annoyed at them! I gave them a stern talking to but I don't think they paid a bit of attention...LOL

i was reading you can eat the young pods... anyone tried?

hmm I haven't but I do have some young pods now forming........

I've heard that there not very tasty. I just save mine for more plants next year.

Well yesterday my Uncle and Thai friend showed up and she started munching on them right away, sooo some people do eat them LOLOL, I did take a teeny taste, nothing I think I would eat though. BUT didn't want her eating them all as I want to grow again next year too lol

She had here eyes on my Brug plants too, I let her know right off that she could NOT eat those, I think I scared her enough off of my Brugs and Dats, as she went inside to wash her hands! Watanna likes to "graze" in my garden each time she stops by. She is funny as all get out, but I love her to death!

Here's what a poisonous plant site had to say about the edibility of Hyacinth Bean, which mirrors exactly what I was told when I toured Thomas Jefferson's plantation, Monticello, this past July. They had tons of it climbing on the garden arbors. The toxic principle is cyanide, & the garden guide at Monticello said that the taste of the beans wasn't special enough for her to knowingly ingest them. I agree - there are far far too many safe & delicious beans out there!!


"Mode
Ingestion.
Poisonous Part
Pods and seeds.
Symptoms
Weakness, vomiting, labored breathing, twitching, stupor, convulsions.
Edibility
EDIBLE PARTS: Pods and seeds edible if thoroughly boiled, changing the water several times.
Toxic Principle
Cyanogenic glycoside.
Severity
TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN."

i read that the glycoside doesn't form until the beans are adult, so unripe pods are okay... or double boiling ripe ones.just wondering if anyone regularly eats them.

I don't regularly eat them, but did eat a bean when Watanna was here and suffered no ill effects, so perhaps that is correct - poisonous when adult pod???

Do you guys know how long I should let my seed pods sit before picking them for seed?
Ours have gone just crazy with flowers and seed pods hanging everywhere. I can't believe this was the 1st year we ever tried them.
Next year, I'm afraid the wife will have them ALL over the place. They're already so thick, you can barely walk up to, on or around the deck and walk ways;).
I just wonder what plant is next.... It never ends;)
JD