Inga edulis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Inga edulis
Pod and seeds
Scientific classification
Genus:	Inga
Species:	edulis
Synonyms
See text

Inga edulis, often called ice-cream bean, is a fruit tree from South America. It belongs to the Fabaceae family, which includes peas and beans. People in the Amazon region, especially Indigenous groups, grow it a lot. They use it for shade, food, wood, medicine, and even to make a drink called cachiri.

This tree is very popular in countries like Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Colombia. The name Inga comes from the Tupí people of South America. The word edulis means "edible" in Latin. The common name "ice-cream bean" comes from its sweet taste and soft, creamy fruit pulp.

What the Tree Looks Like

Mature Inga edulis trees can grow very tall, up to 30 meters (98 feet). Their trunks can be 60 centimeters (2 feet) wide. Branches usually start low on the tree, forming a wide, flat top.

This tree can stay green all year in warm, tropical places. But if it's planted in colder areas, it might lose its leaves in winter. The trunk is a pale grey color. Young stems and twigs can have some hair on them.

The leaves are about 10–30 centimeters long. They have 4–6 pairs of dark-green, oval leaflets. The leaflets at the end of the leaf are bigger than the ones closer to the stem.

Tree Flowers and Pods

The flowers of the ice-cream bean tree smell nice. They grow in tight clusters. Each flower has five petals and many white stamens.

The fruits are long, ribbed pods. They can be straight, curved, or even twisted. These pods hang down from the branches and can be up to 1 meter (3 feet) long. They are usually yellowish-brown to green.

Inside the pods, there are 10 to 20 seeds. These seeds are purplish-black or olive-colored. Each seed is covered in a sweet, white, cotton-like pulp. This pulp is what gives the fruit its "ice-cream bean" name because it tastes so sweet.

• 

  The flowers of the Inga tree.

• 

  Different stages of the pods, from young to mature.

Friends in Nature: Symbiosis

Inga edulis trees have special friendships with other living things.

• Ants: Some ants, like Pheidole species, get sweet nectar from the tree. In return, these ants protect the tree from plant-eating insects. There are even some caterpillars that make sugary honeydew. The ants will let these caterpillars feed on the tree to get the honeydew.
• Bacteria and Fungi: Like other legume plants, Inga edulis can work with tiny bacteria called rhizobia and fungi called mycorrhiza. These helpful microbes live in the tree's roots. They help the tree take nitrogen gas from the air and turn it into a form the plant can use. This process is called nitrogen fixation. It helps the tree grow strong and healthy.

Where the Ice-Cream Bean Lives

The Inga edulis tree naturally grows from Central America down to South America. It can be found in many different climates, from dry to very wet tropical areas. You can see it from sea level up to 2200 meters (about 7200 feet) high in the mountains.

This tree grows best when the average daytime temperature is between 23 and 30 °C (73–86 °F). It can handle temperatures from 18–35 °C (64–95 °F). Older trees can survive a short cold spell of -2 °C (28 °F), but young plants will die if it gets to 0 °C (32 °F).

The ice-cream bean tree prefers 1200 to 2500 millimeters (47–98 inches) of rain each year. However, it can still grow with less or more rain.

Soil and Water Needs

Inga edulis can grow in many types of soil. It likes soil with a soil pH of 5–6.5, which is slightly acidic. But it can also grow in very acidic soil (pH 4.5) or slightly alkaline soil (pH 8).

Its natural home includes riverbanks and wet swamps. This means the tree can handle soils that are flooded for 2–3 months each year. It can also survive dry seasons lasting up to 6 months. The tree can even grow well on heavy soils or slopes.

The Inga edulis tree is not picky about soil richness. In fact, it can actually make poor soil better! Because it's a legume tree, it can fix nitrogen in the soil. This helps improve soils that don't have enough nutrients. It also helps increase the amount of phosphorus in the soil.

Growing the Ice-Cream Bean

Inga edulis is widely grown in agroforestry systems. This means it's grown alongside other crops, often coffee or cocoa trees. People have been growing it this way since before Columbus arrived in the Americas.

Planting and Care

It's quite easy to grow Inga edulis from seeds. The seeds often start to sprout even while they are still inside the pod! However, the seeds lose their ability to sprout after only two weeks of storage.

You can plant the seeds directly in the ground. But planting seedlings that are already a certain height can help them compete better with weeds. If the soil is poor, it's a good idea to add helpful bacteria and fungi to the soil when planting. You can get these from soil and roots of healthy, mature Inga edulis trees.

The tree is usually very strong against pests and diseases. Young plants might have minor problems with fungi. Older trees can sometimes have their leaves eaten by certain insect larvae. Fruit fly larvae can also damage the seeds. In Ecuador, Inga edulis can be affected by mistletoe plants.

What We Use It For

Tasty Treat: The Fruit

The Inga edulis has been grown as a fruit tree for thousands of years. It's often sold in local markets in South America. People mainly eat the sweet, juicy pulp that surrounds the seeds. This white pulp is eaten raw as a sweet snack.

The taste is often described as being like vanilla ice cream. Some types even have a slight cinnamon flavor. The seeds themselves are only safe to eat after they are cooked. When cooked, they taste similar to chickpeas.

In Colombia, the fruit pulp is also used to make an alcoholic beverage called cachiri. This drink is part of a festival with the same name.

The fruit ripens quickly and can only be stored for about three to four days. This makes it hard to export. However, if it's kept cold, it can last for about three weeks.

Helping Farmers: Agroforestry

Because it grows fast and helps improve soil, Inga edulis is very useful in tropical agroforestry systems. It's especially known for its use in Inga alley cropping. This method is a good alternative to slash and burn farming, which can harm the environment.

It's also a popular shade tree for coffee, cocoa, and tea farms. One reason for this is that it keeps its leaves even during the dry season, unlike many other shade trees. The tree's branches and leaves are also used as mulch to enrich the soil or as food for animals. The wood is sometimes used for building or as firewood. It burns well and doesn't make much smoke.

Traditional Remedies

Inga edulis is widely used in traditional South American folk medicine. People often make teas or liquids from the leaves, bark, or roots. These are used to treat problems like diarrhea, arthritis, and rheumatism.

Crushed, boiled leaves are sometimes eaten to help with coughing. They can also be put on lip sores, possibly caused by herpes. Some studies have looked into Inga edulis as a source of natural antioxidants. The results look promising, but more research is needed to develop medical uses.

See also

In Spanish: Ingá o Pacae para niños