Pica pica (Mucuna pruriens) is one of the plants in Puerto Rico that can cause a lot of discomfort during the winter months. Its vines can grow to 50 feet in length and grow what some call velvet beans or in Nigeria they call them Devil Beans. Pica pica means itch or burn so there is a double meaning there.
Pica pica velvet beans
I’ve heard all kinds of stories about what causes the itching. Some think it is like poison ivy or carrasco and that it is Urushiol that causes it. That turns out to not be true. I found a study of mucuna pruriens and apparently the fuzzy coating on the beans is the source. These hairs that grow on the beans are trichomes or spicules that they call cowhage.
I have found that removal of these tiny hairs is the only way to relieve the itch. I use tape, put it over the affected area then remove the tape. I guess it works kind of like a lint brush. We’ve tried baby powder, rubbing alcohol, showers, etc but to really get relief those hairs have to be taken out.
The plant itself is best to just clip before they flower and have the bean pods. The vines grow out of the ground, you can handle them and just pull the roots out, no problem. Just be careful of any mature bean pods, stay away from those. Fairly simple but if you don’t watch out for it they can take over!
They tend to grow in areas that have been recently cleared.
Pica pica Vine / Leaves
During the dry season people will set hillsides on fire to try and eradicate it before the wind spreads the tiny hairs all over the place. If you leave your laundry out on a line to dry, like many do, you will get the itch when you lie in bed or use your towels! Picapica!!
Good to know in case we ever run across pica pica. In seven years on the east coast of PR, we have never encountered it though.
We live in the southwest in the mountains
and have it everywhere! Cows on the property keep the pica pica down. One it gets in your skin you will go crazy trying to get it out. We scrub with scouring pads and it helps. We try to kill it when it starts to vine so that it can not produce beans and more vines.
I used to lived in the west and it is very common. Now I live in fajardo for more than 10 years and never saw this.
We got so itchy in the bed in our AirBNB on Vieques that we thought we must be having a reaction to the laundry detergent. But I’m usually not sensitive to that kind of thing. Ran the sheets through a rinse and dry, to wash out residue, but it doesn’t seem to have helped. Will keep my eyes peeled for the plant, and wash sheets again with detergent (?)
-Tired of Itching
Next door found some on an absent neighbor’s land overrunning his bananas and plantains… pulled them out by roots easily… but didn’t use gloves and hands stained w almost an indelible black ink from the bruised stems tangled in barb wire… 1st time I’ve seen it in 12 yrs living here overlooking west side of Humacao… Luckily no pods yet and saw just one flower cluster… His caretaker local guy says Roundup is better (easier) but cancer isn’t worth it!
I was cutting some tall grass and weeds around the fence of my house, for some reason I stared to itch and the only thing different was that brown bean. Then I remembered hearing about that plant (“pica pica”). Luckily I got out on time, only some itching on the wrist. Thanks for the information.
Been itching for 3 weeks now with a rash all over the body. Someone says they think it’s pica pica. I’ve tried topical and oral medications without relief and washed everything several times over . Not sure what else to do.
Pica pica won’t give you a rash. It could be Carrasco, Puerto Rican poison ivy especially if it weeps pus. Put rubbing alcohol on it to denature the poison. If you weren’t out in the woods though, it could be something else though so you might want to talk with a doctor. Pica pica itches like crazy, but goes away if you pull out the fibers using tape like a lint roller on your body and then take a shower. So it sounds like something else to me since it’s lasting so long.
That sounds like an allergic reaction, to be safe you should see a doctor. If you feel it’s becoming hard to breathe then you need to go to an ER.
I’m in Costa Rica and didn’t go to the woods so I’m not sure it could be that. There is pica pica here but not usually this early, so who knows
Cassie,
I had a ton of it growing over my chain link fence …. (from an abandoned house lot) …. since Roundup is NOT an option for me….. I used 6 cups vinegar , 1 1/2 cups salt, 4 tbsp Dr Bronners loaded it into a Hudson sprayer…… sprayed one a week for 3 weeks and trimmed all the seed pods left on the vines…… it doesn’t kill the roots but at least its not making anymore of those dreaded bean pods…. I should probably look for salt tolerant plants for that corner of my yard since it will probably be an on going battle with the pica pica gone wild. Hope all is well in your slice of Paradise. Peace, love and ice cream bananas. Polly
Hi. Been watching you and family for awhile on utube. We are snow birds from Florida. We’ve been going to Rincon for 40 years. Lived at the Villa when it was a hotel/condo. We have an apartment in Corcega now.
What I’m writing about is that frog. I’m thinking that is not a coqui. It looks like a Cuban tree frog. It invaded Florida and killed out our sweet native frogs. We have to kill them as they spawn rapidly and a lot of them.
Hope I’m wrong.
Take care and keep having fun.
Cherie
Could you do a trip to castilo la beadie in Isabella. It’s kind of hidden. It it is off Route make a right on 464 then at to end make a right at Rubins mini mart and look for a brown sign on the right. It is also called Castillo Monroe. Just wondering if it was damage by the storm. Your son may like the train engine that took sugar cane around the island. It doesn’t or did cost anything when we went.
Happy trail blazing.
Could you do a trip to Castillo Labadie in Isabella. It’s kind of hidden. It it is off Route 2 make a right on 464 then at to end make a right at Rubins mini mart and look for a brown sign on the right. It is also called Castillo Monroe. Just wondering if it was damage by the storm. Your son may like the train engine that took sugar cane around the island. It doesn’t or did not cost anything when we went.
Happy trail blazing.
Hi Cherie!
We have done one a while back on that gorgeous place. It’s actually in Moca, but I’d love to go again! https://youtu.be/dly34xvK6RY
Hi folks, I am considering relocating to Vieques Puerto Rico. Have you done a video on Vieques, Culebra and some of the other small islands or Cabos in this sector?
Benadryl Aloe Vera and anti itch cream it worked for me
I now truly believe the devil made the pics pica plant. I wished I would be hit by a car than go through that again. 😱😱😱😱
Avid gardener here living in the mountains these beans looked so beautiful in the beautiful mountains no poisonous animals so I grabbed a hand full to feel the velvet not knowing what they were then tried to wipe hands off on clothes and arms is a big mistake . Carry Tape with me now and definitely need to eradicate this invasive non native PR pest, official plant of go home gringo locos who don’t know them your not a local, and if your loved by neighbors they will warn and protect you from them. Those who don’t know their plants.. these are horrifying worse than poison wood or any biting insect. We all laugh now and it was wonderful memories with then neighbors and made alot of friends and met everyone with my cries for help as I tried to put out the fire even with gasoline to try and kill whatever got me. Pica Pica!