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Macroptilium atropurpureum
Also called Atro, Purple Bean, Surple Bean, Purple Bush Bean
Purple bushbean (Macroptilium atropurpureum, also called siratro) is a climbing or trailing tropical legume grown mainly as pasture forage and ground cover. It thrives in open, sunny sites with varied soils and is often grown interseeded with grass.
Macroptilium atropurpureum, commonly referred to as purple bush-bean, or siratro is a perennial legume recognized by its climbing, dense, green vines and deep purple flowers. The plant is indigenous to the tropical and subtropical regions of North, Central, and South America, as far north as Texas in the US and as far south as Peru and Brazil. It has been introduced for use as a food for stock to many tropical regions around the world. It has become an invasive pest plant in a number of areas, including the north-eastern coast of Australia. Rich in protein, M. atropurpureum is commonly used for cattle pastures intercropped with grass, used in hay, or as a ground cover to prevent soil erosion and to improve soil quality.
One of the most strategic advantages to M. atropurpureum is its ability to grow and prosper in varied soil types. It is propagated naturally by legumes bursting and sending seeds forcefully into the ground. Growing season varies geographically, but typically will be in the spring and summer. It can be grown in soils that are coarse and fine, as well as all variations between. Primarily, it is grown on pasture fields interseeded with a grass to retain the soil and prevent erosion. M. atropurpureum is often found by roadsides, in vegetation around waterways and coastal regions, and on disturbed ground. M. atropurpureum can grow in soils with a pH level as low as 5.0 and as high as 8.0. It can also survive in most temperatures, requiring a minimum temperature of 23 °F, and has an average salinity and shade tolerance. It requires an average precipitation between 15 and 111 cm.
M. atropurpureum has been tested on several occasions to find additional benefits. When used on a cow pasture intercropped with traditional grass in Australia, it improved milk yield by 2 kg per day.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Macroptilium atropurpureum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
