Lentils are a staple food crop cultivated globally, and the simple answer to whether they grow in pods is yes. Lentils belong to the Fabaceae or legume family, a diverse group of plants defined by their characteristic fruit: a simple, dry pod that splits open along two seams. This classification places them alongside peas, beans, and peanuts, all of which house their seeds within protective casings. This structure is fundamental to the plant’s biology and the agricultural methods used to harvest the seeds we eat.
Understanding the Lentil Plant and Pod Structure
The lentil plant (Lens culinaris) is a small, bushy annual herb, typically growing to a height of 12 to 30 inches. Its structure is semi-erect or sprawling, with slender stems and compound leaves made up of multiple pairs of small leaflets. The plant produces small, self-pollinating flowers, which can range in color from white to pale blue, pink, or lilac. These flowers develop into the plant’s defining fruit structure.
The lentil pod itself is small and flattened, measuring generally 0.5 to 0.75 inches long. This oblong, slightly inflated pod is the casing that protects the developing seeds inside. Each pod typically contains two seeds, though occasionally one or three seeds may be present. The seeds, which are the edible lentils, develop their characteristic lens shape within this protective structure.
The Journey from Seed to Harvest
The life cycle of the lentil plant, from planting to maturity, generally spans about 80 to 120 days, making it a relatively fast-growing crop. Planting typically occurs in the early spring, with the lentil seeds germinating and the plant entering its vegetative growth phase. Flowering begins roughly 50 days after planting, with pods setting shortly after the flowers fade.
Commercial harvesting is timed to when the pods are fully mature and dry, which usually occurs in late summer or early autumn. As the pods mature, they lose their green color and begin to dry out, turning yellow or brown and becoming hard. This drying process is important because the final product is a dried pulse, not a fresh vegetable like a green bean.
Growers often aid this final drying stage by using a chemical desiccant or by swathing. Swathing involves cutting the plants and allowing them to dry fully in the field. Once the entire plant is dried, the crop is harvested using a combine harvester, often fitted with a specialized flex header to gather the low-growing plants. This machine performs the process called threshing, which separates the dried lentil seeds from the protective pod casing and the rest of the plant material.