Wish you luck with the new bean, Jim. It would be great if someone in Hawaii or Florida or somewhere else with a long humid growing season, or a heated greenhouse, could help grow them out for you. I'd love to see a photo of the beans but would not dare ask for even one precious seed until there are lots more of them grown out!

Meanwhile if anybody wants to write to Korea, maybe this buyer could bet more seeds. I don't know anything about this website, I was just googling for Korean Kong Bean.

Here is a link that might be useful: A Korean Seed Trader

Any relation to the Big Mama Lima Bean?

Here is a link that might be useful: Big Mama

Happy, thanks for the link, I haven't seen that company before. I'll probably be getting a few things from them... including that lima, and the giant sunflower I have been looking for.

Jim, I'm on unfamiliar terrain here. Based upon the references I have, Jack Bean was my best guess. Look at the wide variation we have between different varieties of common beans. It's possible that the beans you have are a domesticated variety of Canavalia ensiformis, or perhaps another member of the same genus. I've been trying to research this further since you posted this, but the ARS-GRIN site appears to be down (or I've been banned for overuse). ;-)

You know, I had the most uncomfortable thought... did your source see the plants themselves? Perhaps we are making an assumption based upon the cultivated legumes of this country, which are grown as annuals. Do we even know that these beans are from herbaceous plants? What if those pods are from a tree?

Zeedman The Catholic Monestary of which my friend is an Abbot has several large farms which grows food to support the Monestary and all it's subordinate Churchs. I first became aware of the Bean from a televised Documentary of one of the farms. My wife says the plants were in excess of 2 meters. I've been thinking of contacting fliptx and Hana in the Austin,Tx area to see if they wanted to try a couple of seeds.

Put me down for 2 or 3 seed if you can jwr. I'd like to see what exactly you have gotten hold of.

DarJones

Zeedman, I couldn't get the accessions page to come up either. Maybe they won't be able to repair it till Tuesday.

Will you be getting the Mongolian Sunflower for the nutmeats? I might try that myself.

Here is a link to a page describing Sword and Jack beans, which makes it sound as though Jim might have a Sword bean. It describes the Sword as larger, kidney shaped and red, while the Jack is rounder and white. Though there must be more genetic variety than just those two types.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sword and Jack beans halfway down page

Happy, I do plan on growing the Mongolian sunflower. I found some extremely large seeds at a store locally, and have been searching for the... these might be the ones. Could have my work cut out for me keeping the birds off them, though.

You may be right about it being Sword Bean. The light kidney bean description certainly sounds like the photo in your link... how does it compare, Jwr? Jwr6404 had previously reported the beans as white in his email to me, which led me to believe they were Jack Bean. Can't be sure, though... a photo of the seed would help. Before the ARS-GRIN site went down, I checked the genus Canavalia, and found quite a few species listed. It could be one of the less common.

I would be interested in trying 1 or 2 seeds. They would be grown in pots, so I can move them indoors when the weather cools.

Zeedman
PM me your address as I don't save addresses. Fusion, I still have an envelope with your address on it. Wii get you both,along with macmex a couple of seeds in the mail tomorrow.
Jim

Accessions page is back up now.

Wow, a post to this thread I sent earlier seems to have gone into limbo.

Yes, Happy, I've been using the GRIN system today. The funny thing is, I found out that the USDA was accepting public input over the weekend, concerning the request for a non-food GM corn (Syngenta's "Event 3272") to receive "unrestricted" status (I submitted a message recommending disapproval). Many people reported that the site was difficult to get in to. Now the window for comment has expired, and the site is back up. Hmmmm...

In checking the GRIN taxonomy for the genus Canavalia, I came across a C. brasiliensis that was collected in S. Korea. I found a photo, though, and it does not match Jim's description.

I also came across information that some members of the genus have a high percentage of "hard" seed, meaning seed that is very difficult to germinate. We will most likely need to pre-soak the seeds prior to planting, perhaps in the nitrate solution I use to germinate old bean seed.

Fusion,zeedman & macmex
Seeds are in the mail

The beans arrived today. Temps here were in the (-) when they arrived, so I hope the beans were fully dry & were not damaged by the cold (crossing fingers). Upon inspection, the color & the size of the hilum certainly seem to match C. gladiata, Sword Bean.

Did a little more research... apparently there are several cultivated varieties in Asia. From comments on another Garden site, it seems that the furthest North it has been grown here is Kentucky. So I'll be looking around town for a greenhouse that will let me grow it, or barring that, I'll bring the plants indoors.

I do have jack beans. They are similar to limas but rotund. I have several long pods brown and dry on the bush and several still green. I am still looking for ideas on how to eat them. Someone suggested using the pods while they are still green as a "sandwich bread?" Is that for the jack bean pods?

I spoke with the farmers at Echo Farms in N Fort Myers and we did more internet research. There are toxins in the dried Jack bean seed (white) that were only inactivated after boiling for 3 hours. The toxins were measured at 1/2, 1, and 2 and 3 hours.
If this is a new bean, not a jack bean, I can offer 1-2 containers for an attempt to grow seed for you. I have some tree-sized pots used for sweet potatoes that could be utilized...I will be growing cowpeas and yard longs near them, tho.

grandmotherbear
PM me your address and I will send you a couple of seeds.Florida looks like a good envoirnment
Jim

Hi,I came across this posting and wanted to comment.I grow the sword bean here in Ga.It makes a pretty vine/bloom.You will need a good support for the vine.I recieved my seeds from a trader in Korea last year.I do plan to grow it again this year but I use it as a ornamental only.It does produce a good many beans in one pod.Good luck!Debbie

Kitazawa has two kinds of sword bean.

Yes, seeds are toxic. Red and brown bean varieties are, according to Japanese farm and forest ministry.

DO NOT EAT dried jack beans. Even after fermentation, soaoking for 3 days it might be still toxic. If eating, use white jack beans.

The pod can go as long as 12-14 inch. It is the sword, isn't it?

Well, after a very wet and hectic spring I finally got my three seeds into the ground. They have sprouted and the first one is growing at a very rapid rate. Will let you know how they do.

George
Tahlequah, OK