Velvet Bean Vine (Mucuna pruriens) is easily propagated from seed offered by the GreenDealer Exotic Seeds selection of Vines.

Mucuna pruriens commonly known as Velvet Bean Vine, is a tropical vine unlikely to flower when grown in the colder climate zones because it requires a long hot summer to bloom. Even so, it provides large beautiful lime-green leaves when grown as an annual vine. I have grown it to more than 30 ft. in zone 6 at my home in Louisville, Kentucky. In the tropical and subtropcical climates of zones 9 to 11 it can grow to 60 ft. and can bloom profusely with huge clusters of purple flowers. The velvet soft pods are filled with beige/grey marbled bean-like seeds. Anyone living in a climate zone offering more than 7 or 8 months of frost-free sunny warm weather will enjoy this vine to the fullest.

The specimen above was photographed at my home in Louisville, Kentucky in the summer of 2002.

© 2004 Michael King