The common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, contains over 400 types of beans and who knows how many cultivars. With so many different types of beans, it’s difficult to know where to begin! Especially if you’re tight on space in the garden, then it may be a hard task to narrow down which will perform best in your area and which will provide you with the harvest you’re looking for.
It’s important to consider how you want to use your beans. The two main categories are beans for fresh eating and beans for drying and long-term storage. Most beans can be eaten fresh, though some beans are considered dual-purpose and fall into both categories. They have a primary use of either fresh or dried beans.
Beans come in many different shapes and sizes, such as wax beans, broad beans, butter beans, pole beans, runner beans, yardlong beans, and bush beans. For brevity’s sake, we’ll discuss what you would generally sell as a bean in the grocery store instead of including lentils, cocoa beans, and green peas – which are all considered legumes like beans!
So what makes beans so widely available, popular, and grown around the world? Well, the combination of beans and rice dishes makes a delicious meal and a complete protein. They are also known to help lower cholesterol and blood sugar.
Cooked beans can be found in Middle Eastern dishes. Canned chickpeas or garbanzo beans are the main ingredients in hummus. They can also be found in Italy in pasta dishes and minestrone soup. In Latin America, refried beans and a multitude of other bean dishes are staples.
In the United States, baked beans are a popular southern side, as well as bean salads. Not only are they found in savory dishes but also in desserts in Japan, China, and Hawaii, where many dishes feature sweetened adzuki bean paste. Soybeans can also be turned into a dairy substitute known as soy milk. And we can’t forget to mention the ever-popular mung bean soup!
The benefits of growing your own beans are pretty much countless, but a major pro is the fact that common beans are easily stored. String beans are delicious when eaten raw but can also be turned into canned beans or frozen. So many beans are suitable for drying, giving you multiple years of storage life. Dried beans can be soaked and cooked in soups and stews quite easily.
Fresh Eating
Green beans and string beans are the most common beans for fresh eating. Some fava beans and mung beans are also excellent for fresh eating. Many green beans rarely make it into the house because they’re so delicious right off the plant! They’re perfect for steaming, sauteeing, canning, and freezing.
Blue Lake 274
Blue Lake 274 beans are a classic variety known for their tender and meaty texture.
With exceptional flavor and tenderness, this green bean is excellent for fresh eating as well as freezing for longer-term storage. Snag some Blue Lake 274 Bush Bean seeds from Botanical Interests!
Contender
Contender beans are bush beans that are easy to grow and produce a high yield.
This green bean is considered an early producer providing fresh beans in only 50 days! Contender Bush Bean seeds produce beans with delicious, intense flavor and are easy to grow.
Ferrari
Ferrari beans are gourmet French beans with a creamy texture and delicate flavor.
The Ferrari Bush Bean produces tender, crisp, and delicious fuzz-free pods that are glossy and smooth to the touch. This variety is a heavy producer.
French Filet
French Filet beans are slender and tender, perfect for snacking and cooking.
You can expect delicate flavor from French Filet Bush Bean seeds, even when the pods are picked young. These gourmet beans are perfect when they are steamed or sauteed.
Gold Rush
Gold Rush beans are a popular yellow wax bean with a buttery flavor and crisp texture.
The Gold Rush Bush Bean variety produces large crops of golden pods known for holding their tender texture and delicate flavor longer than other snap beans.
Jade
Jade beans are a type of green bean that is easy to grow and has a crunchy texture.
Dark green, just like polished gemstone, the pods of Jade Bush Beans are sweet and tender. Plants are super productive. Perfect fresh from the garden.
Provider
Provider bean is a bush bean that is a reliable and heavy producer of tender and flavorful beans.
As its name would suggest, this plant provides a large harvest! Provider Bush Bean plants are upright and compact. They are also bushy plants that are easy to harvest.
Roma II
Roma II beans are Italian-style beans that are meaty and great for canning and freezing.
A classic Italian Romano bean on easy-to-pick bushy plants, the beautiful flat green pods of Roma II Bush Beans are filled with tons of flavor!
Royal Burgundy
Royal Burgundy bean is a purple bush bean with a sweet flavor that turns green when cooked.
Bright violet-purple pods magically turn emerald green after cooking! The Royal Burgundy Bush Bean variety is also very tender and stringless.
Tavera
Tavera beans are a gourmet French bean with a tender texture and nutty flavor.
Similar to the French Filet, this variety was produced specifically for the French restaurant trade. The Tavera Filet Bush Bean grows exquisitely tender and stringless beans.
Windsor
Windsor beans are a type of broad bean with a nutty flavor and meaty texture.
These Fava beans have a delectable nutty bean/pea flavor. Windsor Fava Beans are an 1863 heirloom broad bean that is easy to shell and is delicious raw or cooked. It can also be dried for long-term storage and makes an excellent cover crop!
Blue Lake FM-1K
Blue Lake FM-1K beans are a popular green bean variety that is resistant to certain diseases.
This is a longtime favorite pole bean variety. Blue Lake FM-1K Pole Beans are heavy producers that will ensure plenty of beans for freezing and canning.
Kentucky Wonder
Kentucky Wonder beans are a classic pole bean with a rich flavor and hearty texture.
You can expect excellent flavor, tender pods, and heavy production from Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean Seeds. This variety has been around since the late 19th century and has been a favorite ever since!
Trionfo Violetto
Trionfo Violetto beans are an Italian heirloom bean that is purple and has a creamy texture.
This Italian variety produces slim purple pods that are not only gorgeous on your plate but in the garden as well! Grow Trionfo Violetto Pole Beans in 65-75 days for fresh eating.
Seychelles
Seychelles beans are a type of lima bean that is known for its tender texture and buttery flavor.
Deep green stringless pods come early (within 55-65 days!) and continue producing up until the first frost. The Seychelles Pole Bean variety is also disease resistant.
Orient Wonder
Orient Wonder beans are an Asian pole bean that is crisp and tender.
This is a pole yardlong variety that produces 18-inch long pods! They can be cut up and used fresh like any snap bean. Orient Wonder Pole Yard Long Beans are particularly heat tolerant, which makes them great for Southern gardens.
Gold Mine
Gold Mine beans are a yellow wax bean that is easy to grow.
High-yielding ultra sweet yellow beans produced in large clusters for easy picking. This bush variety is container friendly.
Purple Queen
Purple Queen beans are a purple snap bean that is sweet and tender.
This heirloom variety produces beautiful purple beans that turn green after cooking. Another bush variety that is well suited to small spaces and container gardening.
Early Bush Italian
This is a bush bean that is great for Italian dishes and has a meaty texture.
Early producing (within 50 days) Italian heirloom that produces stringless pods. Perfect for fresh eating, freezing, or canning.
Desperado
Desperado beans are a green bush bean that is resistant to many diseases.
Super sweet dark green pods. Thanks to slow-to-develop seeds, the beans have more time to produce sugars and flavonoids.
Mascotte
Mascotte beans are dwarf French beans that are ideal for small gardens and containers.
An All-American Selections winner, this variety produces 5” round, extra fine, stringless pods. This productive 20” dwarf plant is perfect for window boxes, pots, patios, and the small space garden.
Fordhook No. 242
Fordhook No. 242 beans are a type of lima bean that is large and meaty with a buttery flavor.
These lima beans, also referred to as butterbeans, are heat-resistant and thrive in adverse conditions.
White Half Runner
White Half Runner beans are a white snap bean that is tender, sweet, and versatile.
This runner bean is an heirloom classic that produces small 4” green pods with white beans with a delicious, sweet flavor.
Fortex
Fortex beans are a gourmet French bean that is long and slender with a crisp texture.
Stringless French variety that is mildly sweet, meaty, and savory. They are best picked between 6”-11” long.
Yardlong Asparagus Bean
Yardlong Asparagus beans are a type of Asian bean that is long and slender with a nutty flavor.
This heirloom variety produces 18” long slender pods that are delicious steamed or sauteed. They also have no serious pest or disease issues.
King of The Garden
King of The Garden beans are a pole bean that is meaty and has a rich flavor.
These lima beans (or butter beans) thrive in heat and humidity with very little pest and disease issues. This is a super productive climbing pole variety.
Dragon’s Tongue
Dragon’s Tongue beans are a yellow and purple snap bean that is sweet and tender.
This Dutch wax bean produces cream-colored pods with vivid purple mottling that fades when the beans are cooked. Pods are stringless and wide. This bush variety is great for those looking to save space.
Rattlesnake Snap
Rattlesnake Snap beans are a green and purple pole bean that is tender and flavorful.
Also known as Preacher bean, this variety produces dark green pods streaked with purple. The seeds are light in color and splashed with dark brown, resembling a Rattlesnake’s coloration. This pole variety grows vigorously and can reach up to 10 feet! Good resistance to drought.
Winged Bean
Winged beans are a tropical bean that is winged and has a nutty flavor.
This variety gets its name from the 4 “wings” that run down the length of the pod. Winged beans can be left to mature or eaten as young tender pods.
Mung Bean
Mung beans are a small Asian bean that is versatile and high in protein.
These popular beans are generally germinated in bulk and eaten as sprouts. However, you can plant and grow them just like any other bean. They are delicious when eaten fresh! Although they can also be left to dry and then used for sprouting.
Dried Beans
These beans are an excellent choice if you’re looking for shelf life and storage ability. These beans are usually cooked in soups, stews, and other hearty dishes. Most of them, of course, can also be eaten fresh! But are usually grown for their properties as dried beans.
California Blackeye #5
California Blackeye #5 beans are a southern favorite with a creamy texture and mild flavor.
A home gardener favorite and Southern staple, the large, smooth seed of California Blackeye #5 Bush Cowpeas is well suited for drying. Although, the peas can also be eaten fresh, and the tender young pods can be eaten whole.
Scarlet Emperor
Scarlet Emperor beans are pole beans with bright red flowers and a rich flavor.
This runner bean variety produces brilliant, rich-red flowers and is considered both ornamental and edible. The flowers of Scarlet Emperor Pole Runner Beans attract hummingbirds and other pollinators. Sweet tasty pods can be eaten fresh or left to dry.
Arikara Yellow
Arikara Yellow beans are a drought-tolerant Native American heirloom bean with a buttery flavor.
These seeds were originally obtained from the Arikara tribe of North Dakota and then introduced commercially in 1914. They produce yellow-tan seeds with red-brown eye rings. They have good drought tolerance and are great for drying for long-term storage.
Calypso
Calypso beans are black and white beans with a creamy texture and nutty flavor.
This variety is also known as yin-yang and is originally from the Caribbean. This is one of the best beans for baking and soups. Seeds are round, black and white, and with a contrasting eye.
Lina Sisco’s Bird Egg
Lina Sisco’s Bird Egg beans are an heirloom variety with a speckled appearance and a delicate flavor.
This family heirloom was brought to Missouri in a covered wagon in the 1880s. It produces large, tan beans with maroon markings and is primarily used as a dried bean.
Painted Pony
Painted Pony beans are a colorful and versatile bean with a creamy texture.
This dual-purpose bean is both delicious when eaten as young tender pods and when left to mature and used as a dried bean. The beans are brown and white and retain their markings when cooked. 60 days for snap beans and 80 days for dry beans. Excellent for soups.
Tiger’s Eye
Tiger’s Eye beans are a yellow and brown bean with a meaty texture and rich flavor.
Originally from Chile or Argentina, this variety is great for chili or refried beans. It produces tan beans with dark markings.
Henderson Bush
Henderson Bush beans are a classic green bean with a crisp texture and a sweet flavor.
Also known as Dwaf Sieva, this variety was introduced in 1889 by Peter Henderson Company in New York. These dwarf lima beans are hardy, productive, and disease resistant. The creamy white lima beans are perfect for canning or drying.
Sieva
Sieva beans are a southern heirloom that is easy to grow and has a meaty texture.
Also called Small White or Carolina is a pole lima bean that has been popular for hundreds of years. Dark green 9’-10’ vines climb vigorously. They have a delicious butter bean flavor and can be dried for storage.
Agate
Agate beans are a maroon and white bean that is versatile and great for soups and stews.
This very rare soybean can be eaten both fresh as edamame or dried for storage. The pods contain small olive-green seeds with brown saddles. They were originally collected by the USDA in 1929 in Sapporo, Japan.
Fiskeby
Fiskeby beans are a Swedish heirloom that is creamy and nutty in flavor.
Bred by the late Dr. Sven Holmberg in Friskeby, Sweden, this soybean is excellent eaten as edamame and can be enjoyed dried or fresh. This early maturing variety thrives in northern climates.
Painted Lady Improved
Painted Lady Improved beans are a colorful bean that is great for salads and soups.
This pole bean produces beautiful bicolored blossoms that are very attractive to hummingbirds and moths. It is also known as Bicolor Runner and Painted Runner. It is less affected by warmer temperatures than other runner beans.
Sunset Runner
Sunset Runner beans are a runner bean with orange flowers and a meaty texture.
One of the oldest runner beans in existence as it was already well-known in 1735 and listed in America as early as 1806. Small snap pods or green shell beans can substitute for lima beans in cooler climates.
Bolita Beans
Bolita Beans are a small, oval-shaped bean that is great for chili and refried beans.
Bolitas are known for being sweeter, richer, and easier on the stomach than pinto beans. They were brought to Northern New Mexico and Colorado by the Spanish and adapted to high elevations.
Good Mother Stallard
Good Mother Stallard beans are a large and meaty bean with a nutty flavor.
The Good Mother Stallard variety produces gorgeous maroon and white beans that are delicious in baked bean dishes. This heirloom has been growing for generations.
Pinto Garden Bean
This type of bean is a bush bean with a meaty texture and a mild flavor.
Pinto beans are perfect for frijoles, burritos, and refried beans. This bean is excellent for drying and long-term storage. The small tan beans are well-known and widely used in many Mexican dishes.
Light Red Kidney Bean
These popular beans are light red kidney-shaped beans that have many uses.
Light Red Kidney Beans are highly recognizable on store shelves. They have a mild bean flavor and are perfect for chili, bean salads, and soups.
Silver Cloud Cannellini
Silver Cloud Cannellini beans are an Italian bean that is creamy and delicate in flavor.
An improved cannellini bean with a meaty texture and dense, nutty flavor. These cannellini beans make great shelling and cooking beans that can be dried for storage.
Vermont Cranberry Bean
Vermont Cranberry beans are cranberry-colored beans that are great for soups and stews.
Also known as Borlotti beans, Roman, and saluggia beans. Cranberry beans are small, round, and red like cranberries. This variety produces pods that are pinkish-red, reliable, hardy, and easy to shell.
Kabouli Black
Kabouli Black beans are large and meaty beans with a nutty flavor.
This plant produces black garbanzo beans and is an ancient heirloom variety that has been passed down from generation to generation in its original homeland of Afghanistan. It starts well in cool weather, and production slows down in the heat.
Dainagon
Dainagon beans are a Japanese bean that is versatile and has a nutty flavor.
These adzuki beans are widely grown in Kyoto, Japan. This heirloom variety is used for desserts as red bean paste. To make the paste, the beans are boiled, mashed, and sweetened with sugar. They can also be dried and stored for future use.
Lazy Housewife
Lazy Housewife beans are a bush bean that is easy to grow and has a meaty texture.
This heirloom variety was first introduced in 1888 and is native to Pennsylvania. It produces 5” green pods with white beans inside.
Great Northern
Great Northern beans are a large white bean that is great for soups and stews.
This heirloom variety is perfect for drying. Plants produce flat 5” green pods that contain white beans. Semi-vining plants are more compact than other pole varieties that can take up quite a bit of space.
Black Turtle
Black Turtle beans are a small black bean that is high in protein and great for chili and salads.
These compact bush plants produce dark purple-black beans and are widely grown and used culinarily throughout Latin America. Due to the coloration, this variety contains a high concentration of anthocyanin too!
Final Thoughts
Now that you know all the different types of beans you can plant this season, the next step is picking the ones you think will grow best in your region! Each of these beans is well suited for growing in the home garden, so find the one that suits your hardiness zone best and give them a try this season!
