Hyacinth Bean
Ruby Moon Hyacinth Bean is a vigorous, open-pollinated climber that transforms any garden into a late-summer spectacle with fuchsia flower sprays and shiny burgundy pods swaying overhead. Hardy in zones 9-10, it reaches 8 to 20 feet tall depending on your trellis, producing flowers continuously from June through November. Sown after frost danger passes, seeds germinate in just 7-14 days and bloom within 115 days, making it fast enough for most growing seasons. The bronze-tinted foliage and jewel-toned flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies in waves, while the edible pods add both ornament and harvest to your vertical garden.
Full Sun
Moderate
9-10
240in H x 18in W
Annual
Moderate
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Vigorous bronze-foliage vines create a lofty canopy of fuchsia blooms that dance through late summer and fall, beckoning hummingbirds and butterflies to swoop and hover through the twining stems. The shiny burgundy pods that follow are as ornamental as they are edible, providing color all season long. Quick to germinate and bloom, it fills vertical space fast while requiring only moderate water and full sun, making it both low-maintenance and visually stunning.
Ruby Moon Hyacinth Bean excels as a cut flower; arrange the fuchsia blooms when 80 percent of flowers on the stem are fully open for longest vase life. The fully opened flowers are also edible and can garnish salads or plates. The burgundy pods themselves become harvest-ready when shiny and firm, roughly half their way along the stem.
Sow seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before your last frost date in pots kept at 65-75°F. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep and expect sprouting in 7-14 days. Once seedlings develop their first true leaves, thin them as needed to prevent overcrowding.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. Harden off seedlings gradually to full sun before planting, and space them 6 inches apart with 12 inches between rows.
Direct sowing is recommended and is simpler than starting indoors. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep directly in place after the last frost date when soil is warm. Seeds will sprout in 7-14 days.
For cut flowers, harvest stems when 80 percent of the flowers along the stem are fully open, which allows remaining buds to continue opening in the vase. Edible flowers should be picked when fully open. For burgundy pods, harvest when they feel shiny and firm with roughly half of the pods on the stem at this stage of maturity.
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