Inga Bean

Growing Conditions

Inga beans prefer warm and humid growing conditions with well drained soils rich in organic matter. They will tolerate partial shade but are best suited to be a canopy tree with access to full sunlight.

They are resistant to drought and salt but are frost sensitive so will need to be grown in a sheltered area where they are protected from frost, especially while they are young.

Uses

Inga beans are known as nitrogen fixers and can therefore supply essential nitrogen to other plants. They create a great shade canopy for plants that are sensitive to strong sunlight (eg. coffee) and the timber is strong and durable so it can be used for building or as firewood.

All of this on top of the edible crop – the bean pods contain an edible candy floss like substance that taste a bit like ice cream. The beans themselves are also said to be edible although I have not yet tried them. There is some additional information about how to eat inga beans here.

In our food forest the Inga Beans are still young but growing well on our Zone 9 site. We will be trialling them as living retaining walls alongside our Thornless Honey Locust and Oak trees due to their durable timber but are primarily growing them as an edible crop.