Black Coat Runner Bean, 1600's Heirloom
$3.45
$3.95
The Seed Savers Exchange - Edible? Check! Ornamental? Check! Heirloom? Check! This unique runner bean produces sturdy 6-7’ vines that bear both vivid scarlet blooms and flavorful beans that are edible at the immature pod stage (like a green bean) and at the mature stage (like a kidney bean). Pretty, plump bean seeds change first from pink to purple, and finally to a glossy, ebony black. Dating back to the mid-1600s, this variety was first recorded by German botanist Michael Titius in his Catalogues Plantarum. 75 days.
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
75 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
Cherokee Trail of Tears Pole Bean 1800’s Heirloom
$3.45
$3.95
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
Climbing French Bean, 1931 Heirloom
$3.45
$3.95
LIt’s a great one for the cooler weather when it’s starting to warm but the soil is still cool. .
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
Cobra Bean, 1931 French Heirloom (Pole)
$3.75
$4.25
The Living Seed Company - Cobra beans are widely popular in England and across all of Europe. Their amazing purple flowers are replaced by 7" long beans. Pole habit, snap, 65-75 days.
Excellent for fresh eating
Snap bean
Lilac flowers
Pole habit
65-75 days
40 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
Connecticut Wonder Bean, 1919 Heirloom, Organic
$3.45
$3.95
Seed Exchange - Mother (Nature) knew best when it came to this family heirloom favorite: The original steward, Reverend Frank Abbott, told his granddaughter, Deborah, that the beans were a “gift from the bees” a result of cross-pollinated plants in his Bolton, Connecticut, garden, sometime prior to 1919. He named the new variety Connecticut Wonder and believed it was a cross between Kentucky Wax and Cranberry Pole beans. In the mid-1970s, Deborah gave the seeds to John Withee, who donated them to Seed Savers Exchange in 1981. The pods are sweet, juicy, and slightly stringy. The strong climber grows white flowers and green pods that mature to pale yellow and contain large, shiny, dark-brown, kidney-shaped seeds. Pole habit, snap. 60-70 days.
Organic
From the Collection
Snap bean, Pole habit
60-70 days
50 seeds
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
Planting Depth 1"
Rows 36-48" apart
French Gold Filet Pole Bean, Heirloom
from $3.50
$3.95
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
~40 seeds, 20g
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.
Good Mother Stallard Pole Bean, 1930's Heirloom
$3.45
$3.95
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)
Hidatsa Shield Figure Bean, 1917 Heirloom
$3.45
$3.95
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)
Ideal Market Pole Snap Bean, 1914 Heirloom
$3.45
$3.95
The Seed Savers Exchange - Flawless. An early-producing, stringless pole bean with vines that bear 5"-long snap beans all along its 6'-tall vines. This variety has a fine texture and excellent taste and is suitable for eating fresh or freezing. Introduced to the seed trade in 1914 as Black Creaseback by Van Antwerp’s Seed Store of Mobile, Alabama, it was reintroduced in 1924 by Chris Reuter Seed Company of New Orleans, Louisiana, as Reuter’s Ideal Market. Pole habit, snap, 65-70 days. ±1,900 seeds/lb.
Pole bean
Stringless pods
Open-Pollinated
Excellent quality
Early and productive
Snap bean
65-70 days
50 Seeds per pack
Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest frequently for increased yields.
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)
Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean, 1864 Heirloom
$3.45
$3.95
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
Laughing Arlie Greasy, (Pole) Heirloom 1960's
$3.45
$3.95
Will be availble December 2023. Pre-Order yours today!
Seed Exchange - Pole bean, strongly climbing. Straight; constricted; uniformly bright green pods; smooth. Leaves dark green. Fully expanded pods measure 2.9-3.9 and 0.3-0.4 wide. White flowers. Mature pods contain 7 seeds. Small white cuboid shaped seed. Hard seeded. Late maturing snap beans. Moderately high productivity. Donated to SSE in 1981 by bean collector John Withee of Lynnfield, Massachusetts and the Wanigan Associates.
John received this variety from Silas Gilliam of Virginia. Silas stated that he received this variety in the early 1960s from Arlie Hubbard of Virginia, who was known for laughing all the time. SSE Accession # 101499 John Withee, 1981
Excellent for fresh eating
Snap bean
White 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
Mayflower Bean
$3.25
$3.75
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.
It is said these beans came over with the Pilgrims but it’s more likely they were gifted by Native Americans.
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)
Painted Lady Improved Runner Bean, 1827 Heirloom
$3.45
$3.95
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
Purple Podded Pole Bean, 1930’s Heirloom
$3.45
$3.95
Seed Exchange - Plants of this historic variety climb vigorously to 6' to show off an abundance of reddish-purple pods that are high-quality, hearty, and stringless. The pods grow 5-7"-long and turn to light green when cooked. Henry Field discovered this variety in an Ozarks garden in the 1930s.
Conventional
Pole beans
Snap bean
Reddish Purple, stringless pods
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
Rattlesnake Pole Bean, Heirloom, Organic
$3.50
$4.25
Exceptional heirloom flavor fresh, shelled, or dry! Also known as the Preacher Bean.
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