Vigna unguiculata var. sesquipedalis
“Asparagus Bean”/
“Yard Long Bean”

This is a fun summer vegetable, & very easy to grow, originating in Africa, with a long history of cultivation throughout the world. “Asparagus Bean” produces 2-3’ long beans, which when blanched young, taste distinctively like asparagus. This type of bean is more commonly used in Asian cooking than in Southern cuisine, but it can be used interchangeably depending on the maturity of the pods. “Cowpeas”, one of the many common names this plant goes by, have been grown as crops for thousands of years, & tolerate many types of soil, as well as being tolerant of some shade, & even drought. Vining to 6’, flowers are a soft lilac. The seed for these plants originates from South Africa, & is not a distinct cultivar.

Claire Woods
Propagator