# Blackbead (*Pithecellobium keyense*) The Blackbead is a beautiful plant with shiny black seeds that look like beads! It grows in warm places and is loved by many animals for its tasty seeds. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Tropical forests ![Blackbead](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cayos_pict098.jpg&width=800) Photo: Louise Wolff ( darina ), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cayos_pict098.jpg) ## Appearance The Blackbead is a small to medium-sized tree with dark green, bipinnately compound leaves. It produces clusters of fluffy white, brush-like flowers. Its most distinctive feature is its twisted, reddish-brown pods containing shiny, hard black seeds, which resemble tiny beads. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Pithecellobium ## Interesting facts - Ancient peoples once collected its incredibly shiny, hard black seeds to make beautiful jewelry! - Its scientific name means 'monkey's earring' because of its wonderfully coiled seed pods! - The Blackbead's tiny white flowers look just like mini bottle brushes! - This tough tree helps other plants grow by enriching soil with nutrients from the air! ## Special abilities - **Nitrogen Power-Up:** Blackbead has special root nodules that host tiny bacteria, allowing it to pull nitrogen from the air and enrich the soil around it. - **Water Whisperer:** Blackbead can survive long dry spells thanks to its deep roots and small leaves that efficiently conserve precious water. - **Sweet Seed Spreader:** Blackbead produces sweet, edible pulp around its seeds, enticing animals to eat them and help spread its offspring. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 500-1000 cm - **Spread:** 300-600 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen - **Eats:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Consumes the sweet pulp and seeds - **Eats:** [Northern Cardinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-cardinal) (*Cardinalis cardinalis*) — Feeds on the seeds from the pods - **Shelter:** Green Anole (*Anolis carolinensis*) — Uses branches and leaves for cover - **Symbiotic with:** Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Lives in roots, helps tree grow ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Blackbead? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Blackbead? 500-1000 cm ### How wide does Blackbead spread? 300-600 cm ### How big are the flowers on Blackbead? 1-2.5 cm ### When does Blackbead bloom? Late spring to summer ### Is Blackbead edible? Yes ### Is Blackbead toxic? None ### What is Blackbead's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Curry Hammock State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/curry-hammock-state-park) — Florida, US · State Park ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Blackbead: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blackbead)