Canavalia rosea: Beach Bean, Bay Bean

This Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ publication is part of a series originally written by Edward F. Gilman. Visit https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/ to learn more about creating and maintaining attractive landscapes that protect Florida's water resources and environment.

Introduction

Beach bean (Canavalia rosea) is a dense ground cover that is native to the coastal dune ecosystem of Florida. Beach bean is an important part of coastal ecosystems, as it stabilizes the sand dunes against erosion. This plant forms an evergreen groundcover that is 6 to 12 inches in height, but it may occasionally be found climbing a small tree (Figure 1). This plant spreads quickly in the landscape. The trifoliate leaves have elliptic 2½- to 3½-inch-long leaflets that are rounded at their apices. This plant’s leaves fold up in hot weather to conserve water (Figure 2). Small racemes of pink to purple flowers occur among these bright green leaves throughout the year, with a peak blooming season from summer to fall (Figure 3). These beautiful flowers are followed by robust, woody pods, which may be 4 to 6 inches long (Figure 4). Beach bean seed pods are transported by ocean currents and germinate in other locations along the shoreline. This plant is very hardy, salt tolerant, drought tolerant, tolerant of nutrient-poor soils and windy beachside conditions. Beach bean may be used in coastal restoration projects, in coastal landscaping, cascading down a wall, or as a dense groundcover in sandy areas.

General Information

Scientific name: Canavalia rosea

Previous scientific name(s): Canavalia maritima

Pronunciation: kan-uh-VAL-ee-uh row-sea-ah

Common name(s): beach bean, bay bean, seaside jackbean

Family: Fabaceae

Plant type: vine; groundcover

USDA hardiness zones: 9B through 11B (Figures 5 and 6)

Planting month for zone 9B: year-round

Planting month for zones 10 and 11: year-round

Origin: native to Florida

Invasive potential: not known to be invasive

Uses: cascading down a wall; groundcover; coastal restoration

Availability: grown in small quantities by a small number of nurseries

Description

Height: 6–12 inches as a groundcover; depends upon supporting structure

Spread: depends upon space available

Plant habit: prostrate (flat); spreading

Plant density: open

Growth rate: fast

Texture: coarse

Culture

Light requirement: plant grows in full sun

Soil tolerances: acidic; slightly alkaline; sand; loam

Drought tolerance: high

Soil salt tolerances: good

Plant spacing: 24 to 36 inches

Other

Roots: not applicable

Winter interest: evergreen foliage; year-round flowers

Pest resistance: no serious pests are normally seen on the plant

Toxicity: this plant has toxic characteristics; seed pods and seeds contain canavanine; toxic if ingested

Use and Management

Beach bean should be planted on sandy, well-drained soil. It grows in full-sun coastal conditions, and is tolerant of salt spray, wind, drought, and nutrient-poor soils. This plant generally acts as a dense groundcover but may climb surrounding trees or structures. Maintenance may be required to keep the plant within bounds, as it can have a rapid growth rate. Beach bean is well-suited for landscapes close to coastal areas, dune restoration, or as a groundcover in sandy soils.

Design Considerations

Beach bean is a low, sprawling coastal groundcover with bright green foliage and pink‑purple flowers. Its dense roots stabilize sandy soils and help control erosion from wind and light surf, making it effective as a mass planting. For contrast, pair its uniform, horizontal habit with upright, textural plants: muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) offers fine, airy foliage and pink fall plumes; sea oats (Uniola paniculata) add bold, wind‑swept texture and iconic seed heads. For broader scale, use large‑leaved shrubs like seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera) for structure and cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco) for a dense, rounded form with glossy leaves and reddish new growth.

Pests and Diseases

No pests or diseases of major concern.