Painted Lady Improved Runner Bean, 1827 Heirloom

The Painted Lady is one of the oldest runner bean varieties still in cultivation, with a history that predates the modern seed industry.

• A Gardener’s Favorite: Documented as early as the 16th century in England, it became the "darling" of the Victorian era. Gardeners prized it because it wasn't just a vegetable—it was a flowering vine that could climb up arbors, trellises, and porch railings to create a "living curtain" of flowers.
• A "Freedom" Bean: During times of scarcity, the Painted Lady was a dependable source of nutrition, known for its ability to produce heavy crops in cooler, northern climates where common bush beans often struggled.
• The Name: The name refers to the delicate, two-toned petals—a sophisticated blend of creamy white and vibrant, brilliant scarlet red—which reminded early gardeners of the colorful face paint or "rouge" worn by fashionable women of the time.

This is a true "dual-purpose" bean, offering both decorative beauty and substantial table fare.

• The Blooms: Unlike most beans that have small, inconspicuous flowers, the Painted Lady produces large, showy, bi-colored blossoms. They are incredibly attractive to hummingbirds, who will visit your garden daily to feed on the nectar.
• The Pods & Seeds: The pods are long, flat, and green. When shelled, they reveal stunning, large, mottled seeds—often a mix of deep purple and tan.
• In the Kitchen: Harvest the pods young for a tender, flavorful snap bean. If allowed to mature, the shelling beans have a velvety, chestnut-like texture that makes them an exceptional addition to soups, stews, or sautéed with garlic and herbs.

Runner beans are a different "beast" than common pole beans. They prefer cooler temperatures and are famous for their aggressive, vigorous climbing habit.

Garden Bed Coverage: One packet from Firefly Farm & Mercantile provides enough seed to populate a 20 square foot bed (roughly an 8' to 10' long by 2.5' wide garden bed) or to cover a generous 8-foot section of a garden trellis.

"Painted Lady is the plant that makes your garden look like an illustration from a storybook. We love it because it’s so incredibly lush—the leaves are big and dark, the flowers are bright and cheerful, and the beans are hearty and filling. It’s a plant that works as hard as you do, providing beautiful flowers to look at and a solid meal for the winter pantry."

• The Cool-Weather Advantage: Unlike common pole beans that demand high heat, Runner Beans actually prefer cooler summer temperatures. If you live in a region with very hot summers, plant them early in the spring so they can set their pods before the peak July heat.
• Hummingbird Sanctuary: Because of the bright scarlet in the petals, this is the #1 hummingbird plant in our garden. If you want to see hummingbirds up close, plant these right by your porch or window.
• Harvesting: Pick pods regularly while they are young and tender for snap beans. If you leave pods on the vine too long, they will become stringy, but they will be perfect for shelling and drying!