One of my favorite bean to eat and cook with is the black bean. I prefer it in burritos, in restaurant style nachos, and in lotus soup. In addition to adding texture to food, black beans are good for you and your liver. In the garden, they are one of the easiest plants to grow.

One bean turned into a harvest of three cups worth. Growing the beans was with minimal to zero effort. There has not been an issue with pests nor disease. Beans generally grow like weeds.

Here is a pictorial recap of the black bean grown next to a ‘Forest Pansy’ redbud tree using tenants of permaculture: the redbud tree provides the support the bean plant needs to grow on and in return the bean plant will provide nitrogen to the soil.

The leaves of the redbud have dropped and the bean pods are revealed.

The largest cluster of black bean pods.

The pods have been collected into the box and allowed to dry before shelling.