Family: Fabaceae
Scientific name: Mucuna hoitonii
Common name: Black hamburger bean / Chandelier bean
Origin: Central America

The black hamburger bean is a climbing plant up to 15 meters high, from the tropical forests of Central America. The creamy white flowers hang from long stems (up to 5 meters), and are pollinated by bats. The flower changes its shape when it has nectar, and bats are able to detect the shape of the flower by echolocation. Because the flowers hang in the air like chandeliers, they are easily accessible for bats. The floating seeds have a very hard seed wall to protect them from the sea, and the seeds are dispersed all over the world by the currents of the ocean. They wash ashore, and can often be found on tropical beaches.

In temperate climates, the plant can grow indoors or in a heated greenhouse. Because it is a very large climbing plant, it needs to be pruned regularly.

Sowing description: Carefully notch the seeds (without damaging the endosperm) , or sand them with sanding paper. Soak the seeds for 24 hours in lukewarm water, sow them in sowing mix. Keep the soil constantly moist and cover it with plastic foil or glass. Let the seeds germinate in a warm spot indoors.

Sowing time: Whole year
Difficulty: Intermediate
Minimum temperature: 15 degrees Celsius

Photo 1 and 2: Reinaldo Aguilar via Flickr
Photo 3: Jardin Boricua via Flickr