Ice-cream-bean (Inga edulis)

The Inga Bean (Inga edulis), also known as the Ice Cream Bean tree, is an evergreen tree from South America. It grows to around 6 meters in height, but can be kept smaller with regular pruning. It is tolerant of a range of soil types and can handle light frosts but prefers a warm and sunny location.

The tree produces large pods up to 30 cm long that contain seeds surrounded by an edible, white pulp. The pulp is sweet, juicy and tastes like vanilla ice cream. The seeds can also be cooked and eaten like a vegetable.

Inga Beans are well-suited to food forest and agroforestry systems as they grow fast and can be used as pioneer trees to provide shade and shelter to other fruit and nut trees. They are nitrogen fixing plants that can provide good amounts of biomass when pruned as part of a food forest management system. The trees begin fruiting from 3 to 4 years and fruit in late autumn and winter, making them a valuable year-round food source.

To care for Inga Beans, plant them in a sunny or partially shaded location, water them regularly especially during spring-autumn, and add organic matter or fertiliser to improve growth and yield. They are hardy and can tolerate brief frosts but are most suited to warm temperate climates. Minimal pruning is required to maintain shape and size, just remove dead or diseased branches.