Leaf
Ayotte, Gilles, 1948-, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Soybean
Glycine max (L.) Merr.
Also known as: Soya bean, Soy
Family: Fabaceae
50 cm to 1 m tall
Grown as a field crop and in the vegetable garden, rich, free-draining soils
Flowering: June – August
Full sun
Not hardy, frost-sensitive, grown as an annual
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
The soya bean is the most widely grown legume in the world by volume — its seeds contain nearly 40% protein, making it one of the main plant sources of protein for human and animal food.
🍃 Leaves
Compound, trifoliate, hairy, bright green
🌸 Flowers
Small, white to purplish, inconspicuous, grouped in small racemes
🍎 Fruits
Short hairy pod containing 2 to 3 round, protein-rich seeds
🪵 Bark
Upright, hairy, herbaceous stem
🗺️ Distribution
Native to East Asia; grown in France notably in the south-west
🐝 Value for pollinators
Flowers modestly nectar-yielding, plant largely self-pollinating
✂️ Horticultural uses
Major legume grown for its very protein-rich seed, improves soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Seed edible when cooked (indigestible raw); no notable toxicity
🌿 Other Fabaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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