Broad bean is a hardy annual plant that may grow 6 feet (1.8 meters) high. It is an important food crop in Latin America. It is sometimes called the bean of history because it was an important food to the early civilizations of northern Africa and southwestern Asia, where it grows wild and is also cultivated.
The broad bean is also called the windsor bean and the horse bean. Its white flowers are spotted with purple. Its pods may be 1 foot (30 centimeters) long. They contain thick beans, or seeds, that sometimes are 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) wide.
