Pole Beans

Seed Exchange -  This historic variety, renowned for its tenderness and great flavor, was first marketed in 1864 as Texas Pole, then renamed and introduced in 1877 as Kentucky Wonder by James J. H. Gregory & Sons. Vigorous plants yield clusters of 7-10” pods that are stringless when young. Pole habit, snap, 58-64 days Pole bean Stringless pods Great flavor Vines grow 5-7 feet Snap bean 58-64 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest frequently for increased yields.  Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Rows Trellis, Support

From the Hidatsa tribe who raised corn, squash, beans, and sunflowers in the Missouri River Valley of North Dakota. Shield Figure beans are described in Buffalo Bird Woman’s Garden (1917). This very productive variety was boarded onto Slow Food USA’s Ark of Taste in 2005. Pole habit, dry, 90 days. ±600 seeds/lb. Pole bean White beans with tan and brown markings Open-Pollinated Very productive Dry bean 90 days 50 Seeds per packet   Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest dry beans when the pods are completely mature and dry. Direct Seed 2" apart  Plant 1" deep Support using Trellis, tepee, or fencing Full Sun  Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability We are always adding new varieties so please check back often at Seeds - Vegetables (fireflyfarmandmercantile.com)

Renee's Garden - Golden-yellow long, slim juicy French filet pole beans with a fine sweet flavor. Sunny pods stand out from green vines for easy harvesting. Great garden performance and yield over a long season. A real treat that is great raw or cooked.  This slimmer heirloom us very tender and sweet. They will be sure to be a big hit.  Characteristics:  Organic  Heirloom selection   Elegant round and slender pods  Juicy texture and fine sweet flavor    Instructions - In late spring, plant seeds in well-worked, fertile soil in full sun. Erect strong stakes, tripod poles, or trellis at planting time to support vines. Plant 1 inch deep and 4 inches apart along a trellis. Or grow around tripods or stakes, planting 4 to 6 seeds about 4 inches from each pole, then thinning seedlings to 3 best plants per pole. Beans are an easy and reliable crop, but don’t plant seeds too early; cold conditions prevent good germination. For the best yields, pick beans frequently, at least every 2 or 3 days. Filet beans are meant to be eaten when pods are slender, so harvest early, when still pencil-thin.  Plant in: May-June for cold winters or March-June for mild winters Full sun  Sow Seeds: 4" apart, 1" deep  7-10 days to germinate  Days to Harvest: 60  Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers due to availability. 

The Seed Exchange - (aka Amish Knuttle) Cut short-type bean packed with small square seeds that are white speckled with rose. Prized for delicious flavor despite strings. Also excellent as a dry bean. Pole habit, snap or dry, 100 days. Pole bean Square white seeds speckled with rose Delicious flavor despite strings Excellent as a dry bean Snap or dry bean 100 days Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest snap beans frequently for increased yields. Leave some pods on the vine and harvest when completely mature for dry beans. Direct Seed 2" apart Plant 1" deep Support using Trellis, tepee, or fencing Full sun  Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability We are always adding new varieties so please check back often at Seeds - Vegetables (fireflyfarmandmercantile.com)

Renee's Garden - Juicy-sweet and meaty with a wonderful crunchy texture, Musica is the earliest, most productive pole bean we’ve ever grown. Best of all, these broad, flat, 7 to 9-inch long pods have an unsurpassed rich flavor. Bred originally for European home gardeners, Musica’s vigorous, robust vines climb quickly and effortlessly and produce heavily. Keep these plump, great-tasting pods picked and plants will pump out more beans than you thought possible.  Characteristics:  Organic  Juicy-sweet, long flat beans  Rich flavor and crunchy texture    Instructions - In spring once the weather is warm and night temperatures stay securely above 55°F (13°C), plant seeds in well-worked, fertile soil in full sun. Erect strong stakes, tripod poles, or trellis at planting time to support vines. Plant seeds 1 inch deep and 4 inches apart along a trellis, or if planting around tripods or stakes, plant 4 to 6 seeds 4 inches from each pole, thinning seedlings to 3 best plants. Tender, crispy beans are an easy, reliable crop to grow, but don’t plant too early because it will prevent good germination. Musica vines are heavy bearing, so harvest often: the more you pick, the more beans plants will produce. Harvest when beans are 7-9 inches long, but before seeds are swelled in pods. Plant in: May-June for cold winters or April-July for mild winters Full sun  Sow Seeds: 4" apart, 1" deep  5-10 days to germinate  Days to Harvest: 62  Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers due to availability. 

The Seed Exchange - One of the 1,186 beans given to SSE in 1981 by bean collector John Withee of Massachusetts. Named for Carrie Belle Stallard of Wise County, Virginia. This variety dates to at least the 1930s. Maroon beans splashed with white, 5-6 seeds per pod. Wonderful rich meaty flavor, great for soups. Very productive. Pole habit, dry, 85-95 days. ±680 seeds/lb.  Pole bean  Maroon and white beans  Open Pollinated Meaty flavor  Very productive  Dry bean  85-95 days 50 Seeds per packet   Instructions -  Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest dry beans when the pods are completely mature and dry. Direct Seed 2" apart Plant 1" deep Support: Trellis, tepee, or fencing Full sun  Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability We are always adding new varitities so please check back often at Seeds - Vegetables (fireflyfarmandmercantile.com)

The Seed Savers Exchange - also knowns as Bicolor Runner, Painted Runner. Friar Antonio de Arrabida described this species in Flora of Rio de Janeiro in 1827. Incredibly beautiful bi-colored blossoms are very attractive to hummingbird moths. This strain is less affected by warmer temperatures than other runner beans and is a prolific bloomer. Esteemed as both an ornamental and edible climber. Pole habit, 68 days. ±450 seeds/lb.  Characteristics:  Bi-colored blossoms attract hummingbirds Beans are black and speckled with tan edges Esteemed as both an ornamental and edible climber Tolerates heat Pole bean 68 days ±450 seeds/lb 25 seeds per packet  Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Runner beans prefer full sun, although they tolerate part shade very well. Young pods can be eaten whole, or the beans can be eaten fresh or dried. Even the flowers are edible. Direct Seed: 2" Apart Seed Depth: 1" Rows Apart: 24-36" Support: Trellis, tepee, or netting Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability

The Seed Savers Exchange - One of the oldest runner beans in existence. Already well-known in 1735 according to The Gardener’s Dictionary by English botanist Philip Miller; listed in America as early as 1806 by McMahon. Used for ornamental purposes or as a vegetable: small snap pods or green shell beans. Can substitute for limas in cooler climates. Pole habit, 65 days. ±450 seeds/lb. Characteristics:  Scarlet blossoms Beans mature to black and speckled mauve Used for ornamental purposes or as small snap pods or green shell beans Pole bean 65 days 25 seeds per packet  Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Runner beans prefer full sun, although they tolerate part shade very well. Young pods can be eaten whole, or the beans can be eaten fresh or dried. Even the flowers are edible. Direct Seed 2" apart Seed Depth: 1" Rows Apart: 24-36" Support: Trellis, tepee, or netting Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability

Seed Exchange - The beans of this historic variety are excellent for fresh eating—especially when picked young and tender—and its vines bear beautiful lilac flowers. Sweet and flavorful off the vine (kids love them!), the snappy, green 4-7" pods cradle shiny, dark-purple seeds when mature. Ever popular, it was once the most widely grown French climbing bean in England, according to The Beans of New York (1931). Pole habit, snap, 65-75 days Excellent for fresh eating Snap bean Lilac flowers Pole habit 65-75 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest frequently for increased yields. Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Trellis, Fence, or Tee-Pee Rows 36-48" apart

The Seed Exchange - Collected in regions of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, this variety’s original seed is reported to have been found in a wild turkey’s craw. As they mature, the stringless 6" pods enclose attractive brown seeds with tan flecks and brown eye rings. Used as a snap bean or a dry bean; excellent canned or frozen. From the Wanigan Associates Collection organized by the late John Withee. Pole habit, snap or dry, 80-100 days. ±1,100 seeds/lb. Pole bean Open-Pollinated Stringless pods Brown beans with tan flecks Snap or dry bean 80-100 days 50 Seeds per packet   Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest snap beans frequently for increased yields. Leave some pods on the vine and harvest when completely mature for dry beans. Direct Seed 2" apart Plant 1" deep Support using Trellis, tepee, or fencing Full sun  Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability We are always adding new varieties so please check back often at Seeds - Vegetables (fireflyfarmandmercantile.com)

Renee's Garden - Our tendercrisp, flavorful Noodle King selection is easy to grow and yields earlier than other Yard Long varieties, with more weather flexibility, allowing gardeners all over the country to grow them successfully. These amazingly long, slender green pods can easily reach 12-18 inches! Prepare crispy Noodle King beans quickly: sauté, stir-fry, or deep fry tempura-style. Their crisp, juicy texture and fine flavor make these delicious beans a real gourmet treat to grow and enjoy in abundance fresh from the garden. Characteristics:  An Asian specialty  Long slender pods  Easy to grow    Instructions - In late spring, once night temperatures stay securely above 55°F (13°C), plant seeds in well-worked, fertile soil in full sun. Erect strong stakes, tripod poles, or trellis at planting time to support vines. Plant 1 in. deep & 4 inches apart along a trellis; around tripods or stakes, plant 4 to 6 seeds about 4 in. from each pole, thinning seedlings to 3 best plants per pole. Do not plant too early as cold conditions prevent good germination & growth. For the best yields, pick beans frequently, at least every 2 or 3 days. Harvest these astonishingly long, crispy pods when beans are still pencil thin, the pods snap when bent & before the seeds have filled out inside; generally when about 12 to 18 inches long. If the pods get too thick & bulky, they will be fibrous & tough.  Plant in: May-June for cold winters or March-June for mild winters Full sun  Sow Seeds: 4" apart, 1" deep  5-10 days to germinate  Days to Harvest: 65-75 Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers due to availability. 

Seed Exchange - Also know as the Preacher Bean. Distinctive dark green pods streaked with purple grow up to 8" long. Light buff seeds splashed with dark brown, resembling a rattlesnake’s coloration. Very fine flavor. Vines grow vigorously to 10'. Good resistance to drought. Pole habit, snap, 60-90 days Pole bean Vines grow to 10 feet Drought resistant Snap bean 60-90 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest frequently to increase yield. Pods can be left on the vine to mature and then harvested as dry beans. Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Support with trellis, teepee, or fencing

Exceptional heirloom flavor fresh, shelled, or dry! High Mowing Organic Seeds - Picked fresh, beans are round and dark green with unusual purple streaks that fade when cooked. Shelled beans are beige, with rattlesnake streaks when fully dry. Signature addition for roadside stands and farmer's markets. Streaked seeds. Characteristics:  Organic  Pole bean 10' Vines Wax bean 65 days 1oz seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after 2-3 weeks of last frost as beans do like the ground to be warmer. Plan to support with trellis or stakes, even though it is a bush bean, the plant likes the extra support.  Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Plant 36-48" apart

Seed Exchange - Also known as Cherokee Black, the variety is good as both a snap and a dry bean; when mature, the greenish-purple 6” pods encase shiny jet-black seeds. This bean was shared with Seed Savers Exchange by the late Dr. John Wyche of Hugo, Oklahoma. His Cherokee ancestors carried this bean over the Trail of Tears, the infamous winter death march from the Smoky Mountains to Oklahoma (1838-39) that left a trail of 4,000 graves. Pole habit, snap or dry, 85 days. Pole bean Black seeds Green 6 inch pods with purple overlay Snap or dry bean 85 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest frequently to increase yield. Pods can be left on the vine to mature and then harvested as dry beans. Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Support with trellis, teepee, or fencing