Asparagus or Winged Pea (Legume)

husker nana · January 25, 2011

On a whim:

I purchased some Asparagus or Winged Pea seeds from SSE.

After the fact:

I start to research them and read comments like they taste vile, nasty, bland and they have a scratchy texture. Reviews also said it is a beautiful plant and could be planted as border plant.

Has anyone grown these legumes and are they really as bad as what I have read? I bought the seeds so I will grow them so that I can judge them myself. I see alot of recipes out there for them. Nothing wrong with trying at least one weird plant each season, right? I just may not grow them in my garden space and find them a home of their own.

RinTinTin · January 25, 2011

I have not grown them (yet) myself, but they are on my "try" list.
In many areas, they are grown mostly for their leaves (and tubers).

A good source of info is here:

Psophocarpus

or here: Winged bean - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

salix · January 26, 2011

Husker Nana - I was given 3 seedlings a couple of years ago. Not having the time to research them, I just planted them at the front of one of my raised beds. They were an attractive plant with beautiful red "pea" blossoms. However, I found the pea pods too small and fiddly to bother with, and for us the taste was not enough to overcome the disadvantages. That said, perhaps they were not given the particular care needed in order for them to produce their best. I look forward to your experience.

husker nana · January 26, 2011

Salix-Thanks for your growing experience with them. I haven't read many favorable reviews on them other then they are pretty. One person even said that the person that described them on package as being delicious should have to run barefoot and naked through the plants. Thought that was pretty funny. Guess they are sharp.

Tasty or not but for the beauty of the plant, let no seed go to waste. I have the perfect place to plant them plus husband built me several trellises last year so the plan is to have them trellised.

Worth-Thanks for the links as that is where I read that the plants produced twice the seed of unstaked plants. This will make the husband happy using the trellises that he built for me as I kept asking him to make more. Most have been in shed since completion.

RinTinTin · January 26, 2011

The plants are some of the highest nitrogen fixers available. Looking at the nutritional values, I may consider these as a good poultry/hog feed if I can raise enough seed to use as an off season cover plant.

Nutritional data for Seeds/Leaves/Tubers:

Side by Side Nutrition Facts Comparison for Winged Beans Mature Seeds Raw - Winged Bean Leaves Raw - Winged Bean Tuber Raw

gardenfrog · February 15, 2011

There is a variety of Winged Bean that is more compatible with our climate that I grew this past growing season. Most of the pods were at-least 8". They are best when picked smaller, but still tasty when mature. All parts of the plant are etible and highly nutritious. You can even eat the tubers like fingerling potatoes! I enjoyed growing Winged Bean up my railing leading up to my portch. A very attractive plant. Was so impressed with the plant last year that I think I'm going to enter it in this year's county fair!!!

January 25, 2011	#1
husker nana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Wisc. 5A Posts: 197	Asparagus or Winged Pea (Legume) On a whim: I purchased some Asparagus or Winged Pea seeds from SSE. After the fact: I start to research them and read comments like they taste vile, nasty, bland and they have a scratchy texture. Reviews also said it is a beautiful plant and could be planted as border plant. Has anyone grown these legumes and are they really as bad as what I have read? I bought the seeds so I will grow them so that I can judge them myself. I see alot of recipes out there for them. Nothing wrong with trying at least one weird plant each season, right? I just may not grow them in my garden space and find them a home of their own.

January 25, 2011	#2
RinTinTin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Seattle Posts: 581	I have not grown them (yet) myself, but they are on my "try" list. In many areas, they are grown mostly for their leaves (and tubers). A good source of info is here: Psophocarpus or here: Winged bean - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

January 26, 2011	#3
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	Husker Nana - I was given 3 seedlings a couple of years ago. Not having the time to research them, I just planted them at the front of one of my raised beds. They were an attractive plant with beautiful red "pea" blossoms. However, I found the pea pods too small and fiddly to bother with, and for us the taste was not enough to overcome the disadvantages. That said, perhaps they were not given the particular care needed in order for them to produce their best. I look forward to your experience.

February 15, 2011	#6
gardenfrog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Shelbyville, IN Posts: 343	There is a variety of Winged Bean that is more compatible with our climate that I grew this past growing season. Most of the pods were at-least 8". They are best when picked smaller, but still tasty when mature. All parts of the plant are etible and highly nutritious. You can even eat the tubers like fingerling potatoes! I enjoyed growing Winged Bean up my railing leading up to my portch. A very attractive plant. Was so impressed with the plant last year that I think I'm going to enter it in this year's county fair!!!