Ice Cream Bean (Inga feuillei)
Inga feuillei, commonly known as ice cream bean, is best known for the delightful taste of its fruit—a soft, fluffy pulp with a flavor reminiscent of vanilla ice cream, cotton candy, or sweet custard. The pulp surrounds large seeds inside long, green pods and is typically eaten fresh. Its light, creamy sweetness makes it a favorite snack in tropical regions and a memorable experience for anyone tasting it for the first time.
Beyond its flavor, Inga feuillei is a truly multifunctional and visually striking tree. With graceful, feathery compound leaves and fluffy white pom-pom-like flowers, it brings a lush, tropical look to any garden. It produces fruit abundantly while also providing shade and improving the surrounding environment.
One of its standout features is its ability to fix nitrogen. As a leguminous tree, it hosts beneficial bacteria in its roots that convert atmospheric nitrogen into forms usable by plants. This enhances soil fertility naturally, making it an excellent companion in agroforestry systems or food forests. Its broad, dense canopy not only provides cooling shade, which helps suppress weeds and conserve moisture, but also contributes organic matter through leaf drop, enriching the soil over time.
In addition, Inga feuillei supports biodiversity by attracting pollinators like bees and hummingbirds with its nectar-rich blooms. It’s relatively fast-growing, adaptable, and low-maintenance once established.
For New Orleans (USDA Zone 9b), Inga feuillei is a particularly smart choice. It thrives in humid, subtropical climates with regular rainfall and can handle occasional cool weather, especially if young trees are protected during rare cold snaps. With its combination of edible fruit, soil enhancement, ornamental beauty, and ecological benefits, it’s an ideal addition to regenerative landscapes, permaculture gardens, or urban food forests in the Gulf South.
These seeds were sourced from Jonas in California and were found growing as giants in a space that occasionally gets frost. They are more cold hardy than what we usually know ice cream bean as inga edulis.
Inga feuillei, commonly known as ice cream bean, is best known for the delightful taste of its fruit—a soft, fluffy pulp with a flavor reminiscent of vanilla ice cream, cotton candy, or sweet custard. The pulp surrounds large seeds inside long, green pods and is typically eaten fresh. Its light, creamy sweetness makes it a favorite snack in tropical regions and a memorable experience for anyone tasting it for the first time.
Beyond its flavor, Inga feuillei is a truly multifunctional and visually striking tree. With graceful, feathery compound leaves and fluffy white pom-pom-like flowers, it brings a lush, tropical look to any garden. It produces fruit abundantly while also providing shade and improving the surrounding environment.
One of its standout features is its ability to fix nitrogen. As a leguminous tree, it hosts beneficial bacteria in its roots that convert atmospheric nitrogen into forms usable by plants. This enhances soil fertility naturally, making it an excellent companion in agroforestry systems or food forests. Its broad, dense canopy not only provides cooling shade, which helps suppress weeds and conserve moisture, but also contributes organic matter through leaf drop, enriching the soil over time.
In addition, Inga feuillei supports biodiversity by attracting pollinators like bees and hummingbirds with its nectar-rich blooms. It’s relatively fast-growing, adaptable, and low-maintenance once established.
For New Orleans (USDA Zone 9b), Inga feuillei is a particularly smart choice. It thrives in humid, subtropical climates with regular rainfall and can handle occasional cool weather, especially if young trees are protected during rare cold snaps. With its combination of edible fruit, soil enhancement, ornamental beauty, and ecological benefits, it’s an ideal addition to regenerative landscapes, permaculture gardens, or urban food forests in the Gulf South.
These seeds were sourced from Jonas in California and were found growing as giants in a space that occasionally gets frost. They are more cold hardy than what we usually know ice cream bean as inga edulis.
Inga feuillei, commonly known as ice cream bean, is best known for the delightful taste of its fruit—a soft, fluffy pulp with a flavor reminiscent of vanilla ice cream, cotton candy, or sweet custard. The pulp surrounds large seeds inside long, green pods and is typically eaten fresh. Its light, creamy sweetness makes it a favorite snack in tropical regions and a memorable experience for anyone tasting it for the first time.
Beyond its flavor, Inga feuillei is a truly multifunctional and visually striking tree. With graceful, feathery compound leaves and fluffy white pom-pom-like flowers, it brings a lush, tropical look to any garden. It produces fruit abundantly while also providing shade and improving the surrounding environment.
One of its standout features is its ability to fix nitrogen. As a leguminous tree, it hosts beneficial bacteria in its roots that convert atmospheric nitrogen into forms usable by plants. This enhances soil fertility naturally, making it an excellent companion in agroforestry systems or food forests. Its broad, dense canopy not only provides cooling shade, which helps suppress weeds and conserve moisture, but also contributes organic matter through leaf drop, enriching the soil over time.
In addition, Inga feuillei supports biodiversity by attracting pollinators like bees and hummingbirds with its nectar-rich blooms. It’s relatively fast-growing, adaptable, and low-maintenance once established.
For New Orleans (USDA Zone 9b), Inga feuillei is a particularly smart choice. It thrives in humid, subtropical climates with regular rainfall and can handle occasional cool weather, especially if young trees are protected during rare cold snaps. With its combination of edible fruit, soil enhancement, ornamental beauty, and ecological benefits, it’s an ideal addition to regenerative landscapes, permaculture gardens, or urban food forests in the Gulf South.
These seeds were sourced from Jonas in California and were found growing as giants in a space that occasionally gets frost. They are more cold hardy than what we usually know ice cream bean as inga edulis.