General Description:

Castanospermum australe is a large tree up to 30 metres high in favourable conditions of its natural range, although usually smaller in cultivation.

The pinnate leaves are about 40 cm long with about 12 oval-shaped leaflets.  Red and yellow ‘pea’ flowers 3 – 4 cm long are borne in racemes during spring.  These are followed in autumn by large, cylindrical pods about 12–20 cm long containing up to 5 large brown seeds.

Black Bean is well known in cultivation and is widely grown in parks and larger gardens where it grows as a large and attractive shade tree.  It is adaptable to a range of moist, well drained soil types.  The plant is widely grown as an indoor plant.  The seeds are poisonous and can cause vomiting and diarrhoea unless extensively processed by roasting and leaching in running water for several days.  The process is complex and should not be attempted without experienced guidance. The process has been used in Aboriginal culture for thousands of years.

Propagation is reliable from fresh seed.