Snap Beans

(Phaseolus vulgaris)

Snap beans are essentially the same as dry beans but they have been bred for being tender and stringless. Many snap beans also make good dry beans and if you don’t mind de-stringing, many dry beans make fine snap beans. All varieties in this section are stringless.

Like our dry beans, each packet  costs $3.00 and contains approx. 60 seeds. (unless otherwise noted)

Lazy Housewife - My personal favourite snap bean. Plants are immensely productive. A well-tended patch will keep you in fresh beans all summer with enough left over to freeze or can. Plants are prolific climbers growing as high as you will let them. Provide a strong support as vines will be heavy when laden with pods. This was the first completely stringless snap bean developed in 1810. Although very popular at the turn of the century for its long, tender and very flavourful pods, it’s undeservingly rare today. To top it off it’s also a good dry bean. Highly recommended   Sold out  

(new) Blue Jay - A new favourite of mine. This bush bean is excellent eaten in the snap stage and also makes a beautiful dry bean (blue jay colours!). Rescued from obscurity by Bob Wildfong, it made its way to me via Andrea Berry of Hope Seeds. Save these seeds and be part of the comeback!   Sold Out

(new) Purple Peacock  - Massive yields of sweet purple pods on 10'+ vines. The stems and flowers are also purple making for an impressive sight.

(new) Goldmarie - The large, flat, golden yellow pods are so sweet it's hard to get them out of the garden uneaten! Prolific vines will swallow even the largest tipis.

(new) McCaslan - A great multi-use pole bean producing tons of flat, crispy  dark green pods as well as good sized white seeds when allowed to dry down. Grown since before 1900 by the McCaslan family of Georgia.

Blue Lake - Not without good reason has Blue Lake become the standard green pole bean. Long, tender, stringless pods are produced in huge quantities on vigorous vines that will overtop (and often weigh down) even the highest poles. First developed in the early 1900’s in the Blue Lake region of northern California. Very fine flavour.

Aramis - A tender, productive French filet bean. Bush plants.   Sold out

Royalty - A purple podded bush variety developed by Elwyn Meader in 1957. The slightly flat pods turn green when cooked.     

Royal Burgundy - Another great purple podded bush bean. Round pods.