Bean varieties: runner beans, climbing beans, French beans & Co.

Beans offer an enormous variety: There is a lot to discover from old bean varieties to new breeds - you can find out more about the variety here.

who Grow beans in your own garden would like to and is therefore looking for the right variety, you must first decide which type of beans are to be harvested. Most broad beans and runner beans of the kidney bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, are consumed with the pod. So-called core beans as well as D are usually only harvested when the bean seeds inside the pod are ripe or ripe for milk. Milk-ripe bean kernels are processed relatively quickly, ripe seeds are dried and can then be stored very well and for a long time. They can also serve as seeds for the next garden year. The increasingly popular fire beans can be harvested early and eaten with the pods, or they can be left to ripen and the bean kernels are then harvested.

The distinction of the kidney bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, in green beans and runner beans mainly refers to their growth characteristics. French beans develop a small, self-standing bush, have a shorter harvest period and slightly lower yield per plant. They can be planted much more densely than the more productive runner beans that grow up a pole, a corn plant or the like. Wax beans are the yellow-colored specimens of the French or runner beans and are particularly tender when harvested at the right time. Below you will find a list of popular green broad bean varieties, yellow broad bean varieties, green runner bean varieties, Yellow runner beans, French and runner bean varieties for using the bean kernels, broad bean varieties and Fire bean varieties.

Don't you even know what kind of bean you want to grow? Then take a look at the end of the article first. There you will find a decision-making aid for choosing the right type of bean for you.

French beans varieties

The following types of French beans have green pods and correspond to the typical green beans.

• amethyst: Pods colored in purple; stringless and good yields; compact growth; Extension on the balcony possible.
• Bluevetta: Pods in purple-black; intense, good aroma.
• Boston: grass-green pods; high yield.
• brilliant: traditional variety with extremely long and stringless pods; robust in growth and very profitable.
• Brown Dutch: good variety; coffee-brown kernels and green pods.
• Cropper Teepee: early variety with elongated, threadless pods.
• Delinel: popular French bean from France; very productive, stringless and excellent in taste.
• Dubbele Witte: threadless, precocious variety; grass-green pods with a good taste.
• Duplicate: Variety produces pods up to 20 cm long; very good resistance to fungal diseases; high yields.
• Jutta: threadless variety with good resistance to burn marks and grease marks; high yield.
• Maxi: threadless and high-yielding, precocious variety; easy to harvest, because the pods grow above the leaves.
• Palatinate June: threadless, extremely precocious variety; excellent in taste with good texture.
• primrose: very long threadless sleeves (up to 20 cm); Ripe early with high yields and very good taste.
• Princess: light green variety with good disease resistance; very productive.
• Purple Teepee: stringless dark purple variety; very tastefull; 15 cm long and delicious pods.
• Royal Burgundy: threadless pods in dark purple to blue-black; very good taste.
• Speedy: early broad bean variety with deep green pods; good resistance to burn marks and grease marks.
• talisman: threadless, precocious variety with a first-class aroma and delicate texture.
• Vanguard: dark green Italian broad bean with white kernels; very productive with a wonderful taste.

Wax beans: French beans with yellow pods

The following French beans develop yellow pods that are very tender at the right time of harvest.

• Mountain gold: threadless sleeves; Tried and tested variety with good taste and robust growth.
• Brittle Wax: ripe early; the kernels are speckled light black; wonderful taste.
• Thick wax: threadless, golden-yellow variety with light-colored pips.
• Gold ducat: yellow French bean with elongated, stringless pods; very good in taste.
• Golden Teepee: very early and high-yielding yellow broad bean variety; easy harvest of the pods as they hang over the leaves.
• Hildora: high yields; yellow, long pods; outstanding in taste.
• Valdor: deep yellow broad bean variety with stringless, very short pods; ripe early with good yields.
• Wax best of all: well-tried traditional variety; long and very beautiful yellow pods; excellent in taste.

Runner beans varieties

• Blauhilde: thread-free, dark purple runner bean; exquisite taste; robust growth and resistant to various diseases.
• Algarve: early variety with light green, stringless extremely long pods; the nuclei are clearly recognizable in the form of bulges; excellent taste and very productive.
• Eva: green-poded runner beans ripen very early; very long pods (up to 30 cm); high yields and very good taste.
• Matilda: early variety with elongated pods and fine texture; extremely high yields and outstanding taste.
• Mombacher bacon: very productive, stringless variety with green pods; a well-tried classic.
• Neckargold: visually appealing variety with elongated, light yellow pods; very fleshy, stringless pods with a good aromatic taste.
• Rampicante S. Anna: early runner bean with slightly shorter dark green pods; beautifully fleshy and stringless; good taste.
• Balance: long runner beans with an above-average pod width; light green, precocious pods; first class taste.

Wax beans: runner beans with yellow pods

Wax beans are also available in the growth form of the runner bean.

• Anellino Giallo: quite late variety from Italy with golden-yellow pods and red, small kernels that have visually conspicuous speckles; especially the sleeve is strongly curved (partly semicircular).
• Goldmarie: one of the first ever yellow-poded runner beans; very fleshy and stringless; good taste; robust in growth.
• Meraviglia Di Venezia A Grano Bianco: precocious runner beans with yellow skin; high yield; elongated threadless pods.
• Meraviglia di Venezia: Runner beans with deep black grains from Italy; high yields; late maturity; threadless, fleshy pods.
• Neckar Queen: traditional variety with a fine texture and high yields; light green elongated pods; very robust and resistant to the mosaic virus.

Types of beans for using the bean kernels

The following varieties are particularly suitable for ripening and harvesting the bean kernels.

Broad bean varieties for using the bean kernels:

• Borlotto (rosso): optically beautiful, red and white speckled pods with late ripening, red-brown pips.
• Borlotto Di Vigevano: high yields; threadless and speckled in cream and red.
• Canadian Wonder: typical 'kidney bean'; rich in weight with an excellent taste.
• Cannelino: famous Italian white bean; long, semi-flat pod that turns yellow-greenish when fully ripe.

Runner bean varieties for using the bean kernels:

• Borlotto Lingua Di Fuoco 3: subtle, fiery red speckles on the pods.

Broad bean varieties

Broad beans, Vicia faba, are also often called broad beans or broad beans and were widely used in the past. Today they are more likely to be found in weekly markets than in supermarkets. They belong just like the French and runner beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) to the butterflies, but, in contrast to their relatives, belong to the genus of the vetches. Depending on the variety, it can be harvested from the end of May to the beginning of August. The pods can also be eaten when harvested young. The milk-ripe or mature bean kernels can be harvested later.

Early and mid-early varieties:

• Triple whites: probably named after the white flower and the white pips; very popular and widespread variety; Bean kernels are tasty and tender.
• Osnabrück market: well-established variety with very light-colored seeds.
• Witkiem (early white germs): long, thick pods with white beans.

Late varieties:

• Hangdown green core: medium-late, proven and high-yielding variety; delicate greenish kernels.
• Hunsrück: very large growing bean variety with yellow to beige kernels.
• Listra: tasty broad bean; very tender and tasty beans.
• Perla: extremely popular; tender with an excellent aroma; green kernels.
• Piccola: green kernels in somewhat narrower pods; rapid growth and extremely stable variety; high yield; tolerant of focal spot disease and many other fungal diseases.

Variety for growing on the balcony or terrace:

• Robin Hood: very popular variety; does not get too high; very tender grain with a good aroma.

Exotic types of beans: fire beans, mung beans, cow beans, etc.

The fire bean Phaseolus coccineus, is well suited for gardens with damp and cool weather. It grows rather poorly in great heat. Fire bean pods are coarser than common kidney beans and their pods and kernels become larger. In addition, the pods usually become meatier. However, if you pick them early, you can still eat them as a relatively tender bean. Both the pods can be eaten (for example in a stew) and the kernels (milk-ripe or dried). The following varieties are recommended:

• Award winners: vigorous; tolerates harsh climates well.
• Red rum: Hybrid variety that produces many small pods; resistant to powdery mildew.
• White giants: very resistant to weather; also for cold climates; long fleshy pods with threads.

'Prize Winners' and 'Red Rum' bloom red, 'Wise Giants' is white blooming.

The mung bean, Vigna radiata, is also often mentioned and is consumed either as a grain bean or as a seedling. For both types of use, there is not a great deal of variety in the trade.
The one from the old world Vigna unguiculata, is also adorned with many other names such as cowpea or snake bean. It forms very long, slim pods that can be consumed just like green beans.

Confused by so much choice? How to make the right decision

Think about the type of beans you want to harvest and eat.

1. Do you want to eat beans with their pods: French or runner beans
   
2. In damp and cool weather: Fire beans
   
3. Or rather the bean kernels as with kidney beans: Types of beans for using the bean kernels or Broad beans
4. If you want to eat beans with pods, should the pods be particularly tender? If so, give it a try yellow bean varieties, the so-called Wax beans
5. How much space do you have? If you have enough space in the bed, then there is French beans the easier choice for beginners
6. Do you have ways of growing runner beans up a pole or scaffolding? Then you can also turn to the more productive ones Runner beans dare
7. Would you like to harvest milk-ripe bean kernels? Build Broad beans or in a damp, cool climate Fire beans

Hopefully now you know what type of beans you would like to grow the most. Now you can look in the relevant paragraph for a variety that suits your location and ripens at the time you want. As Store beans properly and preserve them, You will find here.