(Bean)

(Tepary Bean)

(Scarlet Runner Bean)

Grown for its electric crimson-red blooms and edible beans, this ancient crop is from the mountainous regions of Central America and is thought to have been cultivated for nearly 2,000 years. Scarlet runner bean, or case-knife bean, is a tender perennial vine with brilliant red flowers, while some plants may have red and white blossoms, and others all white blooms. All parts of the plant are edible. The flowers are beautiful as a garnish, new pods can be eaten whole, and mature beans eaten fresh...

(Dwarf Scarlet Runner Bean, Hestia Runner Bean)

Runner bean ‘Hestia’ is a dwarf or bush selection of the ancient crop, scarlet runner bean. The species is native to the higher elevations of Central America are cultivated now as both an ornamental and a vegetable. Hestia is a tender perennial compact vine with brilliant red-coral, pink and white tricolor flowers. All parts of the plant are edible; the flowers are beautiful as a garnish and in salads, the young shoot are tasty sautéed, young pods are eaten whole and when mature the large lima bean-type...

(Magic Beanstalk Scarlet Runner Bean, Scarlet Runner Bean)

While this may not be the beanstalk that allowed Jack to climb high into the clouds, the ornately swirled beans of cultivar 'Magic Beanstalk' are worth using in a children's garden to illustrate the famed story. Grown for its beautiful scarlet blooms and edible beans, the Magic Beanstalk scarlet runner bean relishes summertime warmth and humidity. This bean is native to the mountainous regions of Central America and is thought to have been cultivated as a food crop for nearly 2,000 years. Scarlet...

(Painted Lady Scarlet Runner Bean, Scarlet Runner Bean)

Grown for its beautiful bi-colored blooms and edible beans, the Painted Lady scarlet runner bean relishes summertime warmth and humidity. This bean is native to the mountainous regions of Central America and is thought to have been cultivated as a food crop for nearly 2,000 years. Selection 'Painted Lady' is considered an English heirloom, and was even grown and admired by President Thomas Jefferson at his Monticello home around the year 1800. Scarlet runner bean, or case-knife bean, is a tender...

(Lima Bean)

Originating from Central America and the Andes mountains of South America, lima beans have been cultivated for thousands of years by native peoples of the Americas. These legumes are valued for their pods of tasty, nutritious seeds which are typically broad, flattened and somewhat kidney-shaped. They were introduced to the Eastern Hemishpere during the Spanish occupation of South America in the 16th century. During this time boxes of the beans marked “Lima – Peru”, for their country of origin,...

(Bush Bean, Green Bean, Pole Bean, Shelling Bean, Wax Bean)

Common beans, shelling, green or wax, are among the easiest of vegetables to grow successfully. These herbaceous annuals have two growth habits, bush and pole or climbing types, and originate from the tropical Americas.

Bean leaves are trifoliate (three-leaved), arranged in an alternate fashion on the stem and have oval or diamond-shaped leaflets. Leaf color can be green or purple. The flowers are typical of peas or beans; larger, rounded petals subtend smaller petals that form a lip or keeled...

(Black Valentine Green Bean, Bush Bean, Green Bean)

A heirloom bush bean variety, 'Black Valentine' may be eaten as a fresh snap bean or harvested for dry soup beans. It was introduced in 1897 by Peter Henderson & Company. This prolific plant produces long green pods with shiny black seeds inside. Begin to harvest green snap bean pods 50 to 55 days after sowing seeds. An ideal pod measures 6 inches (15 cm) in length. Or, leave pods on the plant to fully ripen seeds.

Bean leaves are trifoliate (three-leaved), arranged in an alternate fashion on...

(Blue Lake Bush Bean, Bush Bean)

Slender, juicy and tender green wax beans are produced on the vigorous, climbing or pole-type plants of ‘Blue Lake.’ A bush-type variety is known as 'Blue Lake 274.' The flavorful beans are produced on high-performing plants, yielding harvest-size pods about 62 to 65 days after sowing seeds. Resistance to mosaic virus makes these 'Blue Lake' a more desirable bean variety for the garden. Popular in the United States for commercial canning, these sweet, meaty but stringless bean pods are excellent...