About Beans

Runner beans are an ideal plant for the beginner. They are very popular and easy to grow. They produce long succulent pods from late June through to October.

Apart from being very tasty they are also very nutritious.

They are a climbing plant that grows to 6ft plus and originates from the mountains of Central America. The Indian people of Central America still eat the starchy roots.

They were brought to the British Isles in the 17th century primarily for the decorative flowers.

In the US it is common for the plant to be grown for the decorative flowers alone while in the UK it is grown more for the beans which are part of the staple vegetable diet.

The most popular colour flower is red but you can get white, pink and dual colour flower varieties as well.

If the pods become old and stringy then the seeds can be eaten separately like Pinto Beans or dried and planted next year.

The runner bean contains traces of a poisonous lectin and therefore needs to be cooked and should not be eaten raw.