How to Grow and Care for Jackbeans

Baybean (Canavalia rosea) is a pantropical plant from the same family as the common pea and other legumes. Its seeds are so buoyant that they can float on ocean currents and be distributed far from the original parent plant. It is highly tolerant of salt and does well in sandy, well-drained soils.

Blooms white or pink butterfly-shaped flowers in the summer. After that, the plant will produce fruits, but the pods are very large, ranging from 30 to 50 cm for large ones and about 5 cm wide. The leaves are trifoliate with long petioles.

Although it is a vine perennial herb the base becomes woody. The vine reaches more than 5 m in length. The stems are sparsely crushed with short downward pressures but many later fall off. The leaves are three-leaved compound leaves the leaflets are slightly yellowish green round to wide oval 5 to 12 cm long 4 to 10 cm wide slightly leathery with sharp or rounded tips. The leaves are oval and have sharp tips and fall off quickly. The flowering period is in summer and a general inflorescence is produced from the leaves. Add more than a dozen flowers to one inflorescence. The flowers are light pink and 2.5 to 3 cm long. The wing and keel flaps are almost the same length. The heel is about 1 cm in length and the tip of the upper heel piece protrudes slightly. Note that this flower is upside down from a normal bean flower that is the keel flap is up the tip is down and the flag valve is down. This is because the branches of the inflorescences coming out of the leaf buds are curved downward and extend. The legumes are 5 to 10 cm long and 3 to 3.5 cm wide and contain 2-5 seeds. The seeds are brown ellipsoid 1.5 cm long and have a navel.

Chickasaw features flowers that are pink-purple and its beans are reported to be edible when boiled. Other reports indicate that the beans could be toxic when eaten in large quantities. The plants’ growth habits can vary, but one gardener in Florida reported that the beans covered his entire 400 sq. ft. garden at one point.

Brazilian jackbean is a resilient perennial climbing plant, recognized by its sprawling, robust vines and broad, trifoliate leaves. Its flowers are beautiful, with purple to blue shades, often revealing its place amid the lush greenery of tropical and subtropical habitats. The large seed pods house beans which play a role in the plant's survival, by enticing animals to aid in dispersal. Brazilian jackbean's adaptability allows it to thrive in environments ranging from disturbed soils to sandy beaches, showcasing a strong survival strategy.