Hortiforum

General Info – African Locust Bean

A unique ingredient of West African Cuisine and a tough, deciduous tree well-adapted to drought conditions, the African Locust Bean holds much potential. A native to the African Savannah, the African Locust Bean is grown for its sweet, rich pulp and seeds. The seeds are highly nutritous and after fermenting are used as condiments or ground into a powder for baking. The fermented seeds are a staple flavour of West African Cuisine and are described as having a strong savoury flavour with a notable pungency and sweetness. The fermented seeds are rich in protein and fat and as such are a highly valuable nutritional source. Being native to the African Savannah, the African Locust Bean is tolerant to highly seasonal climates with notable, prolonged dry seasons interspersed with a distinct rainy season featuring heavy rainfall. Acidic soils and a well-drained, partial loam soil is preferred as it allows the plants long taproot to penetrate deep into the soil to provide drought tolerance. Plants require full sun and ample space to fully develop an impressive, spreading form providing plentiful shade but likewise shading out and drawing moisture from nearby plants. The African Locust Bean is a member of the Fabaceae family known commonly as the Legume, Bean or Pea family for its most well known crops. Relatives include Tamarind and Carob with the foliage of plants very similar to Tamarind. With its dense, spreading form and umbrella-shaped crown, plants can reach up to 30m tall in ideal conditions, with plants often as wide as they are tall. The African Locust Bean is dry-season deciduous, which helps it adapt to drier periods with foliage re-emerging upon the arrival of the rainy season with flowering sometimes even occuring first, similar to a Prunus such as a Cherry. Foliage consists of diminutive, oblong leaflets, arranged opposite each other along stems. The Infloresences of the African Locust Bean are highly ornamental and differ significantly from other Fabaceae, being hanging capitula, dense balls of tightly packed staminal filaments. These nectar and pollen rich flowers are an attractive red-salmon. Well adapted to harsh seasonal conditions that traditional fruits struggle greatly in, the African Locust Bean is ideal for gardeners in monsoonal or tropical savannah climates.

Plant Profile/Properties