I grouped shell and dried beans together because at this stage you can’t eat the pods. However, some of the following bean plants can also be used as snap beans if picked young. Most of these choices are from Rare Seeds and a few from MIgardener.
Seed Ideas:
There are quite a few choices for black beans:
- Black Coat (pole) – black beans and red flowers
- Black Knight (pole) – black beans and red flowers
- Cherokee Trail of Tears (pole) – I’ve been growing this pole plant for years.
If you want some other colors, then check out these seeds:
- 1500 Year Old Cave (pole) – white and maroon beans
- Arikara Yellow (bush) – yellow/beige beans
- Cannellini Bean (bush) – white beans
- Hidatsa Red Indian (half runner) – red beans
- Mbombo Green (pole) – emerald green beans
- Scarlet (pole) – black and red speckled beans with red flowers.
- Sunset (pole) – beans are black and pink speckled and pink flowers.
If you want to grow fava beans, check out this oldie but goodie:
- Broad Windsor (bush)
Take a look at these edamame/soybeans:
- Chiba Green (bush)
- Tankuro (bush) – this bean is green when picked at the shell stage and black when it is dried.
If you like to eat hummus, then try growing garbanzo beans:
- Green Garbanzo
- Kabouli Black
Lima beans can be a pole or a bush plant:
- Alabama Blackeyed (pole) – this lima is white with a little black.
- Christmas (pole) – this one has pink/burgundy and white speckled beans.
- King of the Garden (pole) – this lima is green.
- Kurzer’s Calico Traveler (half-runner) – this one has purple and white speckled beans.
Do some digging because there are more choice out there!
