Bush Bean
Also known as: Snap bean · Green bean · String bean · Phaseolus vulgaris
16 types of bush bean
Blue Lake (bush or pole)
55 daysClassic canning bean. Sweet, meaty pods.
Borlotti Bean
60 days fresh / 90 days dryalso: Phaseolus vulgaris 'Borlotti', Cranberry Bean
Cream and pink speckled pods and beans; beloved in Italian soups and stews.
Contender (bush snap)
50 daysAAS heat-tolerant early bush bean — 6 in stringless round pods. Best for hot climates and short seasons.
Dragon Tongue
60 daysPurple-streaked yellow pods. Colors fade when cooked but flavor is stellar.
Fava / Broad Bean
85 daysalso: Vicia faba
COOL-season bean — plant in early spring like peas. Frost-tolerant.
Golden Wax Bean
55 daysalso: Phaseolus vulgaris 'Golden Wax'
Buttery-yellow bush snap bean with mild, tender pods.
Kentucky Wonder (pole)
65 days8-ft climber. Long flat pods, old-fashioned bean flavor.
Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean
65 daysalso: Phaseolus vulgaris 'Kentucky Wonder'
Classic 7–9 in flat green pods on vigorous 5–7 ft vines; old-time flavor.
Lima / Butter Bean
80 daysShell bean — grow to pod maturity, shell out large flat beans.
Pinto / Kidney / Black (dry)
100 daysLet pods dry on the plant, then shell for winter storage beans.
Provider (bush snap)
50 daysThe reliable green bean. Cold-tolerant, heavy yield.
Provider Bush Beans
50 daysalso: Phaseolus vulgaris 'Provider'
Reliable early bush snap bean; cold-soil tolerant and heavy yielding.
Romano (flat / Italian)
60 daysWide, flat pods. Cook longer than round beans — meltingly tender.
Scarlet Runner (pole)
70 daysOrnamental red flowers, edible pods and beans. Hummingbird magnet.
Tenderette Bean
55 daysalso: Phaseolus vulgaris 'Tenderette', Green Bean
Slender, stringless, tender green bush bean; excellent fresh or frozen.
Yardlong (asparagus bean)
80 days18" pods on a pole. Heat-loving — thrives when regular beans quit.
When & where
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Direct sow — beans hate transplant. NEVER soak seed; it rots. Succession sow every 2–3 weeks.
Grower's tip
Nitrogen-fixer — plant before heavy feeders like corn or squash.
Soil preferences
Well-drained loam. Beans and peas fix their own nitrogen — don't over-fertilize.
6.0–7.0
Inoculate seed with rhizobia bacteria at planting for a nitrogen boost. Skip nitrogen fertilizer.
Watering
1 in per week; more during flowering and pod fill.
Drip at the base — wet foliage invites anthracnose and rust.
Overwatered: yellow leaves, dropped blossoms, root rot. Underwatered: dropped flowers, short pods with few seeds.
Prefers top-watering — Top-water at the base with drip. Rust and anthracnose spread through wet leaves — never work in a bean patch when it's wet.
Temperature tolerance
65–80°F (18–27°C) for beans; 55–70°F (13–21°C) for peas
50–65°F (10–18°C)
Peas and favas tolerate frost; common beans, limas, and southern peas are frost-tender.
Container growing
Yes — great in containers
3+ gal (11 L) for bush types; use a trellis for pole types
Bush beans and peas do well in pots; pole types need a sturdy 6-ft trellis.
Succession planting
Bush beans every 2–3 weeks until 8 weeks before first frost. One planting of peas per cool season.
Detailed harvesting
Pick snap types young and often when pods snap crisply. For shell beans, let pods dry to brown on the plant.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Fresh: refrigerate 3–5 days. Freeze blanched. Dry-shelled: store in sealed jars after freezing 3 days to kill weevil eggs.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Fresh snap, shell fresh, dry for storage, sprout for greens, cover crop for soil building.
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Self-pollinating (peas, common beans). Runner beans and fava beans cross via bees.
10 ft for common beans; 150 ft for runners and favas.
The pod IS the seed — let extras dry on the plant, shell, and freeze 3 days before storage.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for bush bean in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
From your kitchen — grow bush bean from what you already have
Beans and peas are the easiest seed to save — the seed IS the harvest.
- 1Leave pods on the plant until they turn tan and rattle.
- 2Pick whole pods on a dry day; shell into a bowl or paper bag.
- 3Air-dry indoors another 1–2 weeks — a bean should shatter, not dent, when hit with a hammer.
- 4Freeze 3 days in a sealed jar to kill weevil eggs, then store dry.
Storage: 3–4 years dry.
My Bush Bean notes
Bush Bean seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
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