Yardlong Bean (Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis), also known as Asparagus Bean, is thought to originate in southern China and is an annual, climbing legume known for its extra long pods. It is a popular vegetable in Southeast Asia and has been introduced to many tropical countries as a garden vegetable.Recently, we've been trialing a number of varieties on our demonstration farm. Mainly, we were interested in finding out which varieties produce the most pods. However, we've also been observing pod length, the reason being that few if any of us at ECHO had ever seen a Yardlong bean pod that was actually a yard long. Usually, they reach about 20 inches. A newly acquired variety, 'Taiwan Black', surpassed our expectations and has produced several pods at or over 36 inches (see photo of 40-inch pod- left). Another variety, 'Guilin' (photo on right), seems to be the most prolific in terms of pod number.
US gardeners can purchase Yardlong beans from our bookstore. They can grow in more northern climates as long as they are planted early enough in the spring/summer. Members of our overseas network of development workers may request seeds by email (echo@echonet.org) or letter.
