Types of beans: pole, climbing, bush beans & Co.

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

who Grow beans in your own garden and is therefore looking for the right variety, must first decide which type of beans are to be harvested. Most bush and pole beans of the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, are eaten with the pod. So-called core beans as well as D are usually only harvested when the bean seeds inside the pod are milky or ripe. 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 gardening year. The increasingly popular runner beans can be eaten early with the pods or you can let them ripen and then harvest the bean seeds.

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

Still not sure 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.

Bush bean varieties

The following bush bean varieties have green pods and correspond to the typical green beans.

• amethyst: pods colored in violet; stringless and good yields; compact growth; Extension on the balcony possible.
• Bluevetta: pods in violet-black; intense, good aroma.
• Boston: grass-green pods; high yield.
• brilliant: traditional variety with extremely long and stringless pods; robust in growth and very productive.
• Brown Dutch: good variety; coffee-brown kernels and green pods.
• Cropper Teepee: early variety with elongated, stringless pods.
• delinel: popular bush bean from France; very productive, stringless and excellent in taste.
• Dubble Witte: stringless, precocious variety; grass-green pods with good taste.
• duplicate: Variety produces pods up to 20 cm long; very good resistance to fungal diseases; high yields.
• Jutta: stringless variety with good resistance to burn and grease stains; high yield.
• Max: stringless and high-yielding, early-ripening variety; easy to harvest as the pods grow above the foliage.
• Palatinate June: stringless, extremely precocious variety; excellent in taste with good texture.
• primrose: very long threadless pods (up to 20 cm); early ripe 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 violet to blue-black; very good taste.
• Speedy: early bush bean variety with deep green pods; good resistance to burn and grease stains.
• talisman: stringless, early-ripening variety with first-class aroma and delicate texture.
• Vanguard: dark green Italian bush bean with white seeds; very productive with a wonderful taste.

Wax Beans: Bush beans with yellow pods

The following bush beans develop yellow pods that are very tender when harvested at the right time.

• mountain gold: threadless pods; tried and tested variety with good taste and robust growth.
• Brittle Wax: early ripe; the nuclei are mottled light black; wonderful taste.
• Fleshy Wax: stringless, golden yellow variety with light cores.
• gold ducat: yellow French bean with elongated, stringless pods; very good in taste.
• Golden Teepee: very early and high-yielding yellow bush bean variety; easy harvesting of the pods as they hang over the leaves.
• Hildora: high yields; yellow, long pods; outstanding in taste.
• Valdor: deep yellow bush bean variety with threadless, very short pods; early ripe with good yields.
• Wax best of all: tried and tested traditional variety; long and very beautiful yellow pods; excellent in taste.

Runner Bean Varieties

• blue hilde: stringless, dark purple runner bean; exquisite taste; robust growth and resistant to various diseases.
• Algarve: early variety with light green, threadless, extremely long pods; the nuclei are clearly visible in the form of bulges; excellent taste and very productive.
• Eve: green-podded runner bean ripens 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.
• Mombach bacon: very productive, stringless variety with green pods; a tried and true classic.
• Neckargold: visually appealing variety with elongated, light yellow pods; very fleshy, stringless pods with a good aromatic taste.
• Rampicante S ann: early pole bean with slightly shorter, dark green pods; nicely fleshy and stringless; good taste.
• Emeraldo: long runner beans with an above-average pod width; light green, precocious pods; premium taste.

Wax Beans: Pole beans with yellow pods

Wax beans are also available in the growth form of pole beans.

• Anellino Giallo: quite late variety from Italy with golden-yellow pods and red, small seeds that have visible speckles; especially the sleeve is strongly curved (partly semi-circular).
• goldmarie: one of the first yellow-podded runner beans ever; very fleshy and stringless; good taste; robust in growth.
• Meraviglia Di Venezia A Grano Bianco: early-ripening runner beans with yellow skin; high yield; elongated threadless pods.
• Meraviglia Di Venezia: Pole beans with deep black grains from Italy; high yields; late maturity; stringless, fleshy pods.
• Neckarqueen: traditional variety with 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.

Bush bean varieties for use of the bean kernels:

• Borlotto (rosso): optically attractive, red-white speckled pods with late-ripening, red-brown kernels.
• Borlotto di Vigevano: high yields; threadless and mottled in cream and red.
• Canadian Wonder: typical 'kidney bean'; productive with excellent taste.
• Cannellino: well-known Italian kidney bean; long, semi-flat pod that turns yellowish-green when fully ripe.

Pole bean varieties for use of the bean kernels:

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

Broad Bean Varieties

fava beans, Vicia faba, are also often called broad beans or broad beans and were widespread in the past. Today they are more likely to be found in weekly markets than in supermarkets. They belong just like the bush and pole beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) belongs to the legume family, but in contrast to their relatives they belong to the genus '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 they are young. The milk-ripe or mature bean kernels can be harvested later.

Early and mid-early varieties:

• Triple White: probably named after the white flower and seeds; very popular and common variety; Beans are tasty and tender.
• Osnabrück market: tried and tested variety with very light cores.
• Witkiem (Early white germs): long, thick pods of white beans.

Late varieties:

• Hangdown green core: medium late, proven and high-yielding variety; tender greenish cores.
• Hunsrueck: very large growing bean variety with yellow to beige kernels.
• Listra: tasty field bean; very tender and tasty beans.
• Pearl: extremely popular; delicate with an excellent aroma; green kernels.
• piccola: green pips in slightly narrower pods; rapid growth and extremely stable variety; high yield; tolerant to focal spot disease and many other fungal diseases.

Variety for growing on balcony or terrace:

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

Exotic types of beans: fire bean, mung bean, cowpea, etc.

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

• award winner: 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 climate; long fleshy pods with threads.

'Prize winner' and 'Red Rum' have red flowers, 'Wise Riesen' has white flowers.

the mung bean, Vigna radiata, is often also called and is eaten either as a grain bean or as a germ. For both types of use, there is not much variety in the trade.
Originating from the old world, Vigna unguiculata, also adorns itself with many other names such as cowpea or snake bean. It forms very long, slender pods that can be eaten in the same way as green beans.

Confused by so much choice? This is how you make the right decision

Think about what kind of beans you want to harvest and eat.

1. Do you want to eat beans with the pods: French or pole beans
   
2. In damp and cool weather: fire beans
   
3. Or rather the bean kernels like 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 you are bush beans the easier choice for beginners
6. Do you have opportunities to grow runner beans up a pole or trellis? Then you can also turn to the higher yielding ones pole beans dare
7. Would you like to harvest milk-ripe bean kernels? build broad beans or in wetter, cool climates fire beans

Hopefully now you know what kind of beans you would most like to grow. Now you can search in the appropriate paragraph for a variety that suits your location and ripens at the time you want. As Store beans properly and preserve them, you'll find here.