Plant profile
Ice cream bean
Inga edulis
Also known as Ice-cream bean, Guaba, Inga bean.
Ice cream bean is a very fast tropical legume tree with long pods filled with sweet white pulp around large seeds. It makes deep shade quickly and produces plenty of prunings.
- Grows well in
- Tropical, Subtropical
- Lifecycle
- Fast-growing evergreen tropical legume tree
- Light
- Full sun, Part shade
- Mature size
- Often 8–15 m high with a broad canopy if left unpruned
- Spacing
- About 5–8 m apart for full-sized trees
- Growth habit
- Very fast-growing evergreen legume tree with a spreading canopy
- Native range
- Tropical South America
- Natural habitat
- Wet tropical rainforest and river margins, especially in humid lowland areas.
When to plant
Tropical
February–May, September–November
Subtropical
March–May, September–November
Temperate
September–November
Mediterranean
September–November
Tropical and subtropical: plant during warm weather with reliable moisture.
Planting
Plant into warm soil with plenty of room for the canopy. Keep it well watered while young and place it where a fast-growing shade tree will not crowd smaller fruit trees.
Position and light
Full sun to part shade.
Soil
Adaptable to many soils with drainage and regular moisture.
Watering
Water regularly while young. Established trees handle short dry periods but grow fastest with reliable moisture.
Feeding
Usually needs little fertiliser once established. Like other legumes, it can form root nodules with nitrogen-fixing bacteria; mulch and compost are generally enough for garden trees.
Pruning
Prune regularly if you want a smaller canopy or use it for chop-and-drop material. Cut before branches become too large to handle safely.
Harvest
Split mature pods and eat the soft white pulp around the seeds. The large seeds are usually discarded or planted. Harvest pods once they are fully swollen but before they begin to split or deteriorate. The white pulp is best eaten fresh; it does not store particularly well, so a heavy crop is easier to use if pods are picked over several days.
Propagation
Fresh seed germinates very readily and loses viability if allowed to dry for long.
Common problems
Rapid growth and heavy branches are the main management issues. Seedlings can appear around mature trees, and strong new shoots often need thinning after hard pruning.
Safety notes
The sweet white pulp is edible. Do not confuse it with unrelated plants also called ice cream bean.
Worth knowing
Ice cream bean grows quickly and makes deep shade, so it can be useful where you want a fast canopy. The sweet white pulp surrounds large seeds inside long pods, and regular pruning keeps the fruit easier to reach.
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