Magic Bean (Castanospermum australe)

The Magic Bean (Castanospermum australe) is an Australian rainforest tree, also known as the Black Bean or Moreton Bay Chestnut. It grows from a large seed, and the two halves of the bean stay attached at the base of the stems while the plant gets going. That's the bit people love.

Outdoors in the wild it becomes a big tree. In a pot indoors it grows slowly and stays a manageable size, with glossy, deep green leaves on upright stems.

Give it bright, indirect light. A little gentle morning sun is fine. Water when the top few centimetres of mix feel dry, and give enough that excess drains out the base. Don't let it sit in water. Keep the beans sitting on top of the soil rather than burying them, and leave them be. They'll shrivel and drop off on their own once the plant no longer needs them.

The seeds and leaves are toxic if eaten, so keep it away from pets and small children.

Available in a 190mm squat pot.