annual fruit vine
Hyacinth bean
Grow mostly as an ornamental vine unless you know safe food preparation.
Growing Profile
- Hardiness
- Zones 5a-11a
- Sun
- Full
- Soil
- Loam
- Water
- Medium
- Deer pressure
- Occasionally damaged Use as a deer browsing cue, not a guarantee; heavy deer pressure can override resistance ratings.
- Black walnut
- Better near black walnut Use as a black walnut / juglone planning cue; tolerance varies by cultivar, soil, and distance from the tree.
- Planting depth
- Sow 1-2 in deep
- Container min
- 2+ gal (good)
- Goals
- Vegetables & herbsCurb appeal & colorPrivacy & screening
Harvest & Use
- Window
- purple pods and flowers in summer
- Yield return
- 0.4-1.5 lb/plant/season
- First output
- 60-100 days
- Best for
- Vegetables & herbsCurb appeal & colorPrivacy & screening
Harvest window: purple pods and flowers in summer. Once established, the current pound-return model uses 0.4-1.5 lb/plant/season with a harvest window of 4-10 weeks.
Plant photos
What it looks like in the garden
Use these photos to compare the plant's leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, and overall habit before you buy or plant.
Photos show a representative plant in the garden. Cultivar appearance, fruit color, bloom timing, and growth habit can vary by site and season.
Photo sources: Magnus Manske (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Quantitative Profile
- Pound return
- 0.4-1.5 lb/plant/season
- 10-year return
- 4-15 lb/10 yrs
- Full output
- This season
- Mature size
- 2-10 ft H x 1-3 ft W
- Spacing
- 0.5-1.5 ft in-row x 2-4 ft rows
- Planting depth
- Sow 1-2 in deep
- Container min
- 2+ gal (good)
- Productive life
- 1 yrs
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Reliability
- 3/5
- Data quality
- Low profile, Low yield confidence
Pound return is the stock-style yield metric. These are planning ranges for comparing plants, not guarantees. Cultivar, rootstock, climate, soil, pruning, pest pressure, and wildlife can move actual results.
Planting Checklist
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Right-size container with drainage
Containers / Before plantingUse a container large enough for mature roots, with open drainage holes to prevent root rot.
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Trellis or trellis netting
Support / Install earlyTrain vining crops upward to save space, improve airflow, and keep fruit cleaner.
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Expanding container potting mix
Containers / Before plantingUse a lighter container medium instead of dense garden soil in pots and grow bags.
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Soil thermometer
Timing / Before plantingCheck whether spring soil is actually warm enough for direct sowing, transplanting, and tender warm-season crops.
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Fruit tree and berry fertilizer
Nutrition / After establishmentSupport fruiting wood, bloom, and recovery after establishment once soil needs are known.
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Soil test kit or lab mailer
Site prep / Before plantingCheck pH and baseline nutrients before adding amendments, especially for fruiting crops, native beds, and acid-loving plants.
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Plant labels
Planning / Planting dayTrack cultivar, planting date, and variety when comparing harvests or pollination partners.
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Garden clips or cover fasteners
Protection / At plantingSecure row cover, frost cloth, shade cloth, and young plant supports without tying permanent knots.
Yield curve
Estimated Pound Return
Projected annual yield ramp from establishment to full production, using the current sourced range for Hyacinth bean.
- Year 1
- 0.4-1.5 lb First-year estimate from the sourced curve.
- Year 5
- 0.4-1.5 lb
- Year 10
- 0.4-1.5 lb
- 10-year total
- 4-15 lb/10 yrs
Shaded band shows the sourced low-to-high pound-yield range. The line tracks the midpoint for quick comparison.
Method: direct pound yield from crop metric source. Annual crops assume one comparable planting per year; perennial crops ramp from first bearing to full production.
Planting Strategy
- Planting depth: Sow 1-2 in deep
- Container minimum: 2+ gal (good). Shallow to medium containers work when depth matches the root crop.
- Start with one plant when testing fit in a new bed or container.
- Plant more than one when harvest volume or pollination is the main goal.
- For screening, repeat compatible plants and confirm mature spacing before buying.
- Use the pairing map below to choose nearby companions or compatible varieties.
Risk Factors
- Match the site first: full light, loam soil, and medium water.
- Use 0.5-1.5 ft in-row x 2-4 ft rows as the first spacing model; adjust for hedges, trellises, containers, or local guidance.
- Plan around mature size: 2-10 ft H x 1-3 ft W.
- For harvest planning, treat "purple pods and flowers in summer" and 0.4-1.5 lb/plant/season as planning ranges, not guarantees.
- For screens and hedges, confirm mature size and spacing with the nursery label or local extension guidance.
Related Planning Guides
Comparable Plants
Companion Plants & Pairings
Plant Nearby
Warm-season vegetables benefit from nearby flower strips that keep bloom and insect activity close to the crop bed.
Use it: Use a narrow flower strip along the vegetable bed edge so beneficial insects are nearby without reducing crop spacing.
Sources & Methodology
This guide combines hardiness range, light, soil, water, harvest timing, traits, supplier links, plant relationships, and quantitative planning metrics. Pairings are screened for practical garden fit.
Quantitative values use extension and botanical-reference ranges where available. For less-studied cultivars, similar crops fill gaps conservatively. Ranges are intentionally broad so the profile stays useful without pretending to be exact.
Planning sources: Cornell Cooperative Extension - Recommended Spacing and Expected Yield for Garden VegetablesUniversity of Maine Extension - Planting Chart for the Home Vegetable GardenNC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxUniversity of Maryland Extension - Planting a Tree or ShrubUniversity of Maryland Extension - Starting a Home Fruit Garden
Supplier search: Amazon. Search links are not paid placements unless explicitly marked; affiliate listings may earn a commission. Last reviewed: 2026-05-31.