The Exotic Hyacinth Bean Vine

We recently posted to Facebook this picture of our arbor covered with hyacinth bean vine.  The vine produces bright purple beans and purple flowers that look similar to hyacinths.  It blooms from July to frost.  We received so many comments that we thought we'd tell you more about it and how to get some free seeds. 

We discovered this exotic plant at the Edwin Warner Nature Center on Highway 100 in Nashville.  IT'S FREE!  They have a community flower and vegetable center garden where visitors can browse or work in the garden--tools are there for your use--or just view the many varieties of flowers and vegetables.  All plants are labeled so you know what you're looking at.  You can even pick veggies. 

That's how we got our hyacinth bean vine started.  They have a huge arbor that makes mine look small.  We just picked some of there beans and let them dry.  We shelled them like butter beans and planted the seeds in April.  That's it.  Just keep it watered and let it grow.

If you haven't visited Edwin Warner Nature Center, you'll be in for a treat.  They have nature exhibits, frog ponds, hiking trails, birds of all kinds and a huge back porch where you can sit in a rocking chair and watch scores of hummingbirds and butterflies feed and flit around.