Your comments and tips

02 Aug 12, Kate (Australia - arid climate)

The page refers to 'lotus tetragonolobus' as being asparagus pea, but other web sites have indicated it is 'psophocarpus tetragonolobus' which is asparagus pea. Are they the same? If not are they interchangeable? Do they grow in the same conditions? Wikipedia indicates that only the pod of the lotus version is edible and pretty much all of the psophocarpus version is edible. Can you confirmed?

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05 Aug 12, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

There is confusion between the two. The 'Lotus' variety (aka purpurea) grows in cooler climates and just the pods are edible. Seedsavers suggest it originated in Africa. The 'Psophocarpus' variety is a tropical plant and most of it is edible. Wikipedia suggests it originated in New Guinea.

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13 Aug 12, Diane (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

The Asparagus pea is a totally edible plant: leaves, flowers, bean pods as well as the roots. I knew them from the Highlands of PNG as a child. I remember well chatting to a Native gardener as he tended his garden. He told me if you want the bean pods, leave the flowers and the beans will grow. If you want the roots to develop, pick the flowers and eat them, but you get no beans. I loved the roots when cooked by the natives. Im not 100% sure but I think it was in the ground oven. His wing bean plants were tall and supported by sapling poles formed into a teepee shape. The flowers were pale and pretty in the pink-mauve-blue type shade, not red. The Highland's temperature was an even 20C to 22C almost year round with wet and dry seasons. Im keen to grow them in NZ as soon as I get them from King Seeds. I'd really like to get the seed from the PNG plants though...

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22 Aug 12, Thomas Ting (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Hi, can we grow tropical Psophocarpus tetragonolobus Goa bean in Hamilton NZ?

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03 Nov 12, Dirk Visser (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

Asparagus Pea: I'd like to contact distributors of this seed in South Africa, as well as any information on theveg.

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16 Aug 19, Howard Rees (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

Hi Dirk, If you have found this Asparagus Pea seed in South Africa please let me know. [email protected] or cel 0824478509 Thank You!

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24 Mar 13, Rana hay (New Zealand - temperate climate)

The seed packet indicates they can be seeded in late Summer or early Autumn. I live in Hamilton which I consider to be a cool temperate zone. Can I seed in April? Rana hay

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15 Oct 13, Angel (Australia - temperate climate)

Hey, fellow Melbournians, if you have had success growing the winged beans, can you please give me some tips on how to get mine going? I have been trying to germinate my seeds and not been successful. I have soaked them for a day or two until they swell but they don't seem to be sprouting yet. It's been a couple of weeks :-( I even have a controlled environment for them in a heat tray! What do you guys do?

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19 Nov 13, Taya (Canada - Zone 6a Temperate Warm Summer climate)

Dear Gardener: I live in Vancouver zone 6, can you tell me where can i find Winged bean in my area.

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23 Dec 13, P Chinn (Australia - temperate climate)

When do you grow Asparagus Pea in Perth?....would our dry hot summer be suitable or do I wait for Autumn?

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