Yardlong bean
Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis
Asparagus bean. Same species as cowpea, eaten as long immature pods. A heat vine, not a temperate snap bean.
GROW → HARVEST → EAT → DRY → POWDER → CAPSULE → GUMMY — forms are not equivalent. Food first.
Identity
What it is
Asparagus bean. Same species as cowpea, eaten as long immature pods. A heat vine, not a temperate snap bean.
Edible portions
- immature long pods
Absence of a portion from this list means it is not treated as food here — not that every other part is toxic.
Growing
- Climate. Hot season
- Light. Full sun, heat
- Soil. Average
- Planting. Tall trellis. Direct-sow in heat.
- Harvest. Young, before seeds bulge hard.
Preparation and culinary uses
- Stir-fry in segments
Next steps
Sources
- USDA PLANTS Database — taxonomy and range (verify current entries)
- No USDA FoodData Central nutrient profile is attached here. That is not a claim that the plant contains no nutrients.
- State cooperative extension growing guides — verify for your region
Honest incompleteness is preferred to fabricated completeness. If a section is missing, no record for it is attached here — not a claim that the plant lacks that characteristic, and not that it was omitted as a secret.
Internal quality class B. Good foundation: enough unique information to exist as its own destination.