Soybean

Glycine max

Soybeans are small, round beans that grow in pods on soybean plants. They are a healthy food that can be turned into tofu, milk, or cooked and eaten in many dishes.

Habitat: Farms

Appearance

The Soybean has hairy stems and leaves, typically forming an upright, bushy plant. It produces small, delicate pea-like flowers, which can be purple or white. Its most recognizable feature is the fuzzy, green pods that grow in clusters, each containing two to five beans.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderFabalesFamilyFabaceaeGenusGlycine

Soybean

Interesting facts

Each fuzzy pod can hide up to five healthy, protein-packed beans!

Soybeans are ancient, cultivated for thousands of years in Asia!

Soybeans are even used to make crayons, plastics, and eco-friendly car parts!

They contain all nine essential amino acids, making them a 'complete protein'!

Special abilities

Soybean can pull nitrogen gas from the air and turn it into food for itself, enriching the soil for other plants too!

Soybean has tiny flowers that can fertilize themselves, making sure new seeds are always made without needing help from others.

Measurements & details

Height: 30-100 cm
Spread: 20-40 cm
Flower Size: 0.5-1 cm
Bloom Season: Summer
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Annual
Pollination Method: Self

Ecological connections

symbiotic with

Soybean nodule bacteria

Bradyrhizobium japonicum

helps fix nitrogen from the air

eaten by

Human

Homo sapiens

a major food source worldwide

pollinates

European honey bee

Apis mellifera

visits flowers for nectar

Traits

Nitrogen Fixing

Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants.

Spring Blooming

Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.

Fruit Bearing

Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.

Grain Crop

This human use trait denotes species cultivated as grain crops, harvested for their edible dry seeds (grains), which are a staple food source.

Oil Crop

This human use trait identifies species cultivated as oil crops, harvested for their seeds or fruits from which vegetable oils are extracted for food, fuel, or industrial uses.