Jack Bean (Canavalia ensiformis)

Jack bean is a fast-growing, low maintenance, multi-purpose legume that checks all the boxes for an ideal food forest companion plant. It fixes nitrogen, grows in poor/degraded soils, helps suppress aggressive weeds, handles pruning very well and produces an abundance of high quality biomass. It’s growth habit ranges from a sprawling bush (when kept pruned) to a climbing vine (if provided a trellis).

The seedpods are edible when they are young and tender but should be cooked thoroughly. The mature beans are also edible but require extensive processing and cooking to safely eat them. Jack bean plants have a high protein content, making them suitable as supplementary feed for livestock.

This amazing plant plays an essential role in the land regeneration/agroforestry work we do both in Florida and Honduras. Long live the mighty Jack Bean!

10 seeds / small packet

30 seeds / packet

Canavalia ensiformis