How to Grow and Care for Inga

Ice-cream-bean (Inga edulis) lives in wet tropical and subtropical conditions in Central and South America. Its unusual name comes from the sweet flavor of the pulp around its beans. The beans themselves are slightly toxic when raw, but cooking reportedly removes the toxicity.

Sacky sac bean is a tropical tree species that is known for its nitrogen-fixing capabilities, making it a valuable plant for reforestation efforts. Its leaves are fern-like and its small, white flowers are a favorite of bees. In addition to its environmental benefits, sacky sac bean has been used traditionally for medicinal purposes to treat a variety of ailments.

Ice-cream bean tree is a South American tree that was so important to the Inca that it's featured on ancient pottery designs. This beneficial tree is adapted to fix nitrogen, giving it great potential to improve soils for other plants in land reclamation and improvement projects. The scientific name feuillei honors Louis Éconches Feuillée, a noted French botanist and scientist.