Ice Cream Bean Tree

Ice Cream Bean Tree serves up tropical flavor and fast shade in one gorgeous package. Its long velvety pods hold sweet, cottony pulp that tastes mildly like vanilla dessert. Botanically known as Inga edulis, it can be maintained about 8 to 10 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide in a container, while landscape trees can grow much larger with a broad feathery canopy to cool patios and play spaces. The trees naturally nitrogen-fixing roots help enrich the soil around it. Our landscape designer recommends Ice Cream Bean for gardens that need filtered shade over seating areas, young fruit trees, or a warm patio collection.Ice Cream Bean Tree CarePlant Ice Cream Bean Tree in spring after cold weather has passed, or in early summer in warm climates with steady moisture available. Place it in full sun to part sun with wind protection while young. It prefers rich, well-drained loamy soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH around 6.0 to 7.0, but it can handle leaner soil once established. Set the tree at the same depth it grew in the nursery pot and space in-ground trees at least 20 feet apart. Trim in late winter or early spring trimming to keep the canopy open, control height, and remove storm-bent or crossing branches.Growing Ice Cream Bean TreeIce Cream Bean Tree needs warmth to flower and pod well. It is typically self-fruitful, though cross-pollination can increase yields. Trees grown from young plants may take a few seasons to begin producing, with summer harvest once the pods fill out and begin dropping or loosen easily from the branch. Split ripe pods open by hand and eat the fluffy white pulp fresh around the seeds, or chill pods briefly before serving for the best texture. Growing Ice Cream Bean Tree in ContainersIce Cream Bean Tree works as a patio tree, sunroom specimen, or young tropical shade plant, but it needs pruning because it grows quickly once warm weather arrives. Begin with a 10 to 15 gallon container for a young tree, then move to a 20 to 25 gallon pot as the trunk gains size. Repot in spring before strong growth begins, trimming long top growth at the same time so roots and canopy stay balanced.Start container plants indoors or in a greenhouse in colder zones, then move them outside after nights stay above 50 degrees. Move the container back indoors before nights drop below 40F (4C). Set indoor plants 12 ft from a south- or west-facing window and maintain 4060% humidity.Watering Ice Cream Bean TreeWater young Ice Cream Bean Tree deeply through the root ball, and let the top couple inches of soil dry before watering again. Try to keep the soil evenly moist in heat, especially in the first 12 years. Established trees tolerate short dry spells better, but folding leaflets, light leaf drop, or thin pods indicate that the tree needs steadier moisture.Feeding Ice Cream Bean TreeUse compost, mulch, and light mineral support rather than heavy nitrogen fertilizer, since Ice Cream Bean Tree can fix nitrogen through its roots. Feed in spring with compost around the drip line, and use chopped prunings as mulch in warm landscapes to return nutrients to the soil.