Phaseolus coccineus

Phaseolus coccineus — runner bean

Phaseolus coccineus is the botanical name for the runner bean, a vigorous climbing legume (Fabaceae) grown for its long, flavoursome pods and showy flowers. It is the species behind our runner bean range and one of the most productive climbers in our wider legume collection.

History & origin

The runner bean comes from the cool highlands of Central America, especially Mexico and Guatemala, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years and grows as a true perennial from a fleshy root. It reached Europe in the 17th century and was at first grown purely as an ornamental for its brilliant scarlet flowers, only later becoming the kitchen-garden staple it is today, particularly in Britain and the Netherlands. The genus name Phaseolus is the classical Latin for a bean, while coccineus means scarlet, for those vivid blooms.

Botanical characteristics

Phaseolus coccineus is a strong twining climber that can reach two to three metres in a season, clothed in heart-shaped leaves and, classically, vivid scarlet flowers (white and bicolour forms also exist) that are a magnet for bees. The flowers give way to long, often roughened green pods that are eaten whole while young and tender. Unusually among beans it can be grown as a short-lived perennial, with tubers that may resprout, and its nectar-rich flowers make it as valuable to pollinators as to the kitchen.

Growing Phaseolus coccineus from seed

Runner beans are tender, so sow once frost has passed — either direct or started in pots under cover for an early start — and give them a tall, sturdy support of canes or netting to climb. They are hungry and thirsty: rich soil and regular watering keep the flowers setting and the pods coming. Pick often and young to keep plants cropping for weeks. Our vegetable growing guide covers the basics, and the vegetable sowing calendar shows the sowing windows.

Ready for a tall screen of flowers and a heavy crop of beans? Browse the varieties below.

Related categories: Runner Bean · Legumes · Green Beans · Broad Bean · All Vegetables

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