Adzuki bean
Vigna angularis
Small red beans simmered into sweet paste and festival rice; a compact, quick bush bean for warm summers.
Hardiness: zones 4 to 10
Light: full sun
Size: about 2 ft tall, 1.5 ft wide
Harvest: August to September
From: East Asia
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, fixing nitrogen in the soil.
Native to: East Asia. Hardy in zones 4 to 10.
The story
Adzuki beans were tamed in East Asia thousands of years ago and are found at early farming sites in Japan, Korea and China. Their red colour is thought lucky, so they go into rice for celebrations and into the sweet paste that fills buns and mochi.
Planting
Full sun and warm soil, sown after the last frost.
Growing
A bushy plant that needs no support and little feeding. Water at flowering.
Harvest and use
Let the pods dry on the plant, then shell. Simmer until soft; they need no soaking.
What to watch for
A cool, short summer gives a thin crop. Bean beetles and rabbits.
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More annual vegetables, herbs and grains
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home