Fava Bean: Sweet Lorane
(Vicia faba)
Vicia faba is an annual herbaceous plant in the legume family, usually considered to contain three subspecies: V. faba subsp. major (broad bean), V. faba subsp. equina (horse bean), and V. faba subsp. minor (tick bean or pigeon bean). Plants are upright, reaching heights of 1.5-2 m. Leaves of V. faba are alternate and pinnately compound with 2-6 leaflets per leaf. One to six white flowers are borne on racemes with a central dark spot similar to pea flowers.
A medium sized broad bean that is both a cover crop and was selected for its sweet flavor, making it an excellent choice as a dual purpose crop.