A lot of people eat beans, but not a lot of people spare much thought for them. This is understandable because beans are so ubiquitous that they are a normal part of life for most people, meaning that there isn’t much of a reason for said individuals to spare much thought for them. However, it should be mentioned that beans can be rather interesting in their own right.
For example, beans are a crop that must be grown in the summer because they can’t thrive without warmer temperatures. Moreover, the bean plants need something to provide them with support because they are vines, which is why modern growers often use bean poles while Native Americans often grew them with corn so that the cornstalks could serve much the same purpose. Once these things are in place, bean plants grow up fast, so much so that it is possible for them to reach the harvesting stage within a couple of months.
Besides, it is interesting to note that beans have been with humans in a wide range of places for a long, long time. For example, the long history of bean cultivation can be seen in the fact that beans were buried with the dead in ancient Egypt as well as the fact that beans are mentioned as a food in the Iliad. Likewise, beans popped up in the Americas at some time around the second millennium BC, with the evidence suggesting that they were domesticated by Native Americans in much the same manner as their counterparts in Eurasia and Africa. In fact, many of the beans that are eaten today come from the beans that were domesticated in the Americas.
Regardless, those who are unconvinced by the interesting nature of beans should consider checking out this time-lapse video (above) of a bean growing. It can seem simple and straightforward, but it is nonetheless an excellent reminder of just how interesting natural processes can be when seen in full.
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