Summary: Entada phaseoloides (St. Thomas bean) is a plant in the Fabaceae family. Verdica documents 0 traditional uses, 0 phytochemical compounds, and 0 herb-drug interactions for this species.
Entada phaseoloides or commonly known as St. Thomas Bean is an evergreen, woody plant that climbs and has a flattened and spiral stem. It can be 100 m long and 18 cm in diameter. It can be found in tropical and subtropical areas in East Asia. The flowers are yellowish white and form on a long spike in the leaf axils. The leaves have long leaf stalks. Medicinally, the plant is used against rheumatic joint and muscle pains, respiratory ailments, hernia, fish poisoning, gonorrhoea, various skin ailments, ulcers, headache, colic, etc. The plant can be poisonous thus consumption must be cautious. Seeds are soaked and roasted prior to eating. Roasted seeds are used as a coffee substitute. The seeds also yield edible oil that can also be used as a fuel and for illuminant oil in lamps. Young leaves can be eaten as a vegetable. The plant is rich in saponins and is used for washing the hair and as detergent. It can be grown from seed but the seed has a hard seed coat that needs to be cut prior to sowing.
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Watering | Moderate — drought tolerant once established |
| Soil | Well-drained; nitrogen-fixing — minimal fertilizer needed |
| Hardiness Zone | Varies widely (USDA 2-11) |
Explore the full profile of Entada phaseoloides in the Verdica app — including detailed traditional uses, phytochemical data, care guides, and more.
Open in Verdica →