don't stop believin'

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And speaking of soldiering on: I posted a snippet about the lovely purple pods on this hyacinth bean plant two months ago and now, late in the season with its leaves beginning to fade (notice they are also purple), it decides to produce flowers yet again.

As Steve Perry and Journey sang, "Don't stop believing'...Some will win, some will lose; Some were born to sing the blues; Oh, the movie [or the bean plant] never ends; It goes on and on and on."

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purple pods

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Sheila’s green thumb is evident behind the Gift Shop at Ijams. One of the plants she is caring for produces bright purple seedpods.

The hyacinth bean is widespread as a food crop throughout the tropics, especially in Africa, India and Indonesia.

The plant grows as a vine, producing purple flowers and striking electric-purple colored seed pods. It’s a good choice for a quick screen on a trellis or fence. It grows fast, has beautiful, fragrant flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and it even produces edible leaves, flowers, pods, seeds and roots.

WARNING: The dried seeds are poisonous due to high concentrations of cyanogenic glucosides, and can only be eaten after prolonged boiling.

- Photo taken at Ijams Nature Center.

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