Fort Portal Jade
(Pole) Fort Portal Jade was collected by botanical explorer Joseph Simcox in the Fort Portal Market in Western Uganda, Africa. According to collector Russell Crow, the locals who grow this variety “simply called it a “bean””. 1 The seeds are a striking grey-green, sometimes blue tinged. This variety is noticeably similar to Ugandan Bantu beans – given both these varieties connections to Uganda perhaps they are of the same lineage.
“Once while on an expedition to western Uganda, I came upon a bag of jade-green beans in the Fort Portal Market. The event made my heart flutter! I was to introduce bean collectors the world over to this wonder and proudly gave it the name “Fort Portal Jade Bean.”” (Joseph Simcox, Types of Beans: A Poor Man’s Jewels, August 16, 2016.) 2
“Joseph Simcox-The Botancial Explorer was the fellow who discovered the bean around Fort Portal Uganda several years ago, and named it Fort Portal Jade because of it’s color and where he found it growing. The local people simply referred to it as a bean. He arranged the shipment of this bean for Richters Seeds. I think after they sold out their quantity. That was it. They had no more of them to sell” (Russell Crow, 2014)
Seed and plant habit presents identical to pictures of African ‘Army’ beans. The Army bean is described as having, “4” pods with 5-6 round beautiful army green round seeds. It has a semi trailing habit […]” 3 It is yet to be verified if the Army and Fort Portal Jade beans are indeed the same.
Days to Maturity: