A true South African heirloom. This plant can last you seven years. It a climber, so make sure to give it support.
The name, Herenbone or Heer Bone (Boontjie) translates as the Lord’s Bean, probably referring to the early Dutch Governors in the Cape, who were known as Heren (Lords). There does not appear to be an English translation for these beans.
It is said that Jan van Riebeeck introduced the seeds to the Cape Farmers in the 1600’s. Their origins are apparently from Lima. These perennial plants thrive in poor soil and relatively dry areas, so they were perfect for the Sandveld area inland from the West Coast. Only the beans are edible as the rest of the plant apparently contains high levels of cyanide. This is probably why the plants are tough and virtually pest free.
In the raw state they are large white beans the size of a cooked butter bean with a distictive black spot at its ‘navel’!
