Pole bean varieties mirror bush beans. Pod color ranges from dark green to yellow (often called wax beans) and even to purple. Pods may be round or flat. (Romano types typically have broad, flat pods). French filet varieties are slender, and you should harvest them when they are 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter. Be sure to choose resistant varieties if you experience problems with bean diseases in your garden. You can harvest most varieties as snap beans, shell beans or dry beans, but each variety is usually best at just one of the three stages. Many heirloom varieties are available. Check the list below to find your favorite pole bean.
| Pole Bean Variety | Pole Bean Description | Days To Maturity |
|
Akahana Fujimame |
Japanese hyacinth pole bean. Vines bear red flowers and flat, thick and curved pods. Young pods can be sliced or used whole, either boiled or stir-fried. | 100 |
|
Akahana Mame |
Asian pole shell bean. Vines bear red flowers and pods up to 8 inches long with 1-inch, deep red beans dappled with purple and black. | 85 |
|
Algarve |
Pole bean with long flat pods reaching 10 inches in length. Ideal as Italian style beans. Vines are vigorous and productive | NA |
|
Alston |
Heirloom. Pole/snap bean type. Vigorous climbing plants have stems with extensive purple coloring, dark green leaves with purple veining and pink to dark purple flowers. Excellent flavor as a snap bean. Sweet, slightly tannic, juicy, and crisp. Immature pods green with purple blush. Mature pods . Shelling beans pods are curved, round in cross-section and have an upward curving beak. Mature pods are yellow with purple blush reaching 5 to 7 inches long with 8 to 10 black seeds per pod. | 50 - 70 |
|
Anellino Giallo G. Rosso. |
Italian yellow pole anellino type bean. Vines bear round, curved, yellow pods. | NA |
|
Anellino Mix |
Italian heirloom Romano-type pole bean. Small, crescent-shaped, green or yellow pods. | NA |
|
Anellino Verde |
Italian pole green bean. | NA |
|
Asparagus Yardlong |
Pole green bean with large pods best picked before they reach 18 inches. Prefers hot climate. Also known as 'Red-Seeded Asparagus'. | 80 |
|
Aunt Jean's |
Pole dry bean with round, shiny, white beans with maroon eye, creamy texture and sweet, nutty flavor. | 90 |
|
Big Mama |
Pole lima bean. 8- to 10-foot vines bear 8-inch, pods filled with large beans. Developed from a New Jersey heirloom lima. | 80 |
|
Black Seeded Blue Lake |
Pole green bean. 6- to 8-foot vines bear straight, stringless pods. | 55 - 63 |
|
Black-Seeded Kentucky Wonder |
Heirloom pole green bean. Vines bear 6- to 8-inch stringless, fleshy pods with 8 to 10 seeds per pod. | 84 |
|
Blauhilde |
German pole bean with dark-blue, round to oval, 10- to 12-inches pods. Similar to Italian heirloom Trionfo Violetto. Disease resistant. | NA |
|
Blue Coco |
Heirloom pole bean. Vines with purple-tinged leaves bear bluish-purple, fleshy, slightly curved, flattened 6- to 7 1/2-inch pods with chocolate-colored seeds. | 59 |
|
Blue Lake Pole |
Pole green bean. 5 1/2-foot vines bear stringless, 6- to 7-inch, dark-green pods. Pick fresh or allow to mature as a dry bean. Resistant to bean mosaic virus (race 1) and common bean mosaic. | 55 - 65 |
|
Blue Lake S-7 |
Pole green bean. (Improved 'Blue Lake'-type.) 7-foot vines bear 6- to 6 1/2-inch, smooth, round, stringless, dark-green pods with white seeds that are slow to develop | 60 |
|
Borlotto (Pole) |
Italian soup pole bean. Vines bear 8- to 12-inch, multicolored pods for fresh use, or harvest white beans with red speckles for dry use. Also known as 'Borlotto Lignua di Fuoco'. | 55 |
|
Brockton Horticultural |
Pole dry bean. Plants bear red striped pods and brown-speckled, tan seeds. | 85 |
|
Brown Speckled Greasy |
Cutshort type pole snap bean. Vines bear 3 1/2-inch pods with 8 round, brown, speckled seeds. | 73 |
|
Burpee's Best Pole Lima |
Pole lima bean. 12 foot vines produce pods with 3 to 5 beans per pod. | 92 |
|
Cannelino |
Italian heirloom pole Romano shelling. Vines bear flat, crescent-shaped pods with white seeds. | NA |
|
Carolina Red |
Pole lima bean. Vines bear red seeds. Drought tolerant. | 80 |
|
Cascade Giant |
Pole green bean. 6- to 8-foot vines bear green pods with reddish mottling. | 58 |
|
Cherokee Cornfield |
Heirloom pole green/dry bean. Vines bear 6-inch pods. | 70 |
|
Cherokee Trail of Tears |
Pole dry and snap bean. Plants bear 6-inch green pods with purple overlay and shiny, jet-black seeds. | 85 |
|
Chinese Green Noodle |
Asian pole long bean. Early-producing plants bear straight, smooth, bright-green, 20-inch pods. | NA |
|
Chinese Mosaic Long Bean |
Asian pole bean. Vines bear lavender-pink, 12- to 18-inch pods. | NA |
|
Christmas |
Pole lima bean. 7- to 9-foot vines bear 6-inch pods with 3 large, buttery-flavored, light-cream seeds with bright red stripes. Also known as 'Large Speckled', 'Giant Butter', 'Florida Speckled', 'Speckled Calico' or 'Giant Calico'. | 80 |
|
Climbing French |
French pole bean. Plants bear lilac flowers and 4- to 7-inch, stringless pods and shiny, dark-purple seeds. | 65 - 75 |
|
Dean's Purple |
Heirloom purple snap pole bean. Vines bear long, round purple pods with light and dark seeds. | 55 |
|
Dow |
Purple-podded, heirloom, pole bean. 6- to 8-foot vines bear dark purple, flat beans. Long harvest season. Emerges well from cool, wet soils. Illinois origin. | 75 - 80 |
|
Dr. Martins |
Heirloom pole lima bean. Vines up to 12 feet tall bear 5-inch pods with 3 or 4 large beans. | 90 - 100 |
|
Emerite |
Pole green bean with slim, straight, round, smooth, light-green pods. Harvest at 4 to 5 inches for filet or 7 inches for snap. | 53 - 64 |
|
Florida Speckled Butter |
Pole lima bean with light-brown beans splashed with maroon. Plants withstand heat and humid weather. Also known as Speckled Butter Bean. | 85 - 86 |
|
Fortex |
Pole green/French filet bean with round, stringless, 7- to 11-inch dark-green pods stay tender after walnut-brown beans enlarge. Resistant to anthracnose and common bean mosaic. | 60 |
|
Frosty |
Pole lima bean. Vines bear large, mauve and pink-speckled seeds with a frosty "icing" coating. | 88 |
|
Garden of Eden |
Pole green bean with 6-inch, broad, flat pods. Seeds are brown with dark-brown stripes. European heirloom. | 65 |
|
Genuine Cornfield |
Heirloom pole snap bean. 5- to 6-foot vines bear 5- to 7-inch pods. | 70 - 90 |
|
German Pole |
Heirloom pole green bean. Vines bear wide, flat, 1-foot, green pods with small white seeds. | 64 |
|
Gita |
Pole green bean. Day-neutral subtropical Asian vines bear 16- to 20-inch, dark green, pencil-thick, stringless pods. Black seeds. | 78 |
|
Gold Marie |
Pole yellow (wax) bean. 6- to 8-foot vines bear 6- to 7-inch flattened, bright golden yellow pods that maintain quality even when large. | 55 - 60 |
|
Golden Lima |
Pole lima/dry bean. Similar in appearance to limas, but actually a dry bean. Plants bear flattened, golden seeds with darker striping. | 85 - 90 |
|
Golden of Bacau |
Pole Romano bean. Vines bear 6- to 10-inch by 1-inch, flattened, golden beans that remain stringless and edible even when the seeds begin to form. | 60 - 70 |
|
Good Mother Stallard |
Heirloom pole dry bean. Seeds are mottled cream and purplish-red. | 85 - 95 |
|
Grandma Nellie's Yellow Mushroom |
Pole yellow (wax) bean. Vines bear yellow pods that are tender when picked at 5 inches and taste somewhat like mushrooms when cooked. | NA |
|
Greasy Pod Cutshort |
Heirloom pole green bean. Vines bear 4- to 5-inch, smooth, shiny, slightly curved pods filled with oval white beans. Remove strings before eating. | 85 |
|
Green Anellino |
Heirloom, Italian, pole bean. Small, crescent shaped beans with rich Romano flavor. Also known as 'Green Annelino'. | NA |
|
Haricot Tarbais |
Phaseolus vulgaris. Heirloom. Pole Dry Bean. Bean seeds are plump and white. Grown for centuries around the village of Tarbais, in southwestern France. Used traditionally as a main ingredient of cassoulet. Skin of the bean is unusually thin and has lower starch content. About 90 days to maturity. | 90 |
|
Harwig's |
Heirloom filet-type pole green bean originally from Belgium. 6- to 8-foot vines bear thin, 4- to 6-inch green pods. Also known as 'Harwig's Heirloom Belgium'. | NA |
|
Haudenosaunee Skunk Bean |
Phaseolus vulgaris. Heirloom, pole bean, dry bean. Selected and saved by the indigenous Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) people for countless generations. It is also identified by Frederick M. Wiseman's Seeds of Renewal Project as an Abenaki native bean. Strong plants are vigorous climbers that can top an 8-foot trellis and are highly productive as well as among the earliest dry beans to mature. About 85 days to dry bean. | 85 |
|
Helda |
Pole Romano bean with 9-inch pods. Long harvest season. Resistant to common bean mosaic. | 58 |
|
Hidatsa Shield Figure Bens |
Pole dry bean. Vines bear white beans with speckled tan "shield." | 90 |
|
Honeycutt Pioneer Cutshort |
Pole snap green bean. Vines bear 3- to 4-inch, tender, green pods with brown speckled seeds. | 77 |
|
Ideal Market |
Pole green bean. Vines bear 5- to 6-inch, stringless pods. | 65 - 70 |
|
Illinois Giant |
Pole lima bean. Vines bear large red seeds with greenish undercolor. | 90 |
|
Italian Rose |
Italian pole bean used shelled in soups and pasta dishes. Vines bear multicolored pods that are harvested when 8- to 12-inches long and seeds fill out. Use fresh or allow pods to mature fully, then shell and dry beans for storage. | NA |
|
Italian Snap Pole |
Italian Romano-type pole bean. 6- to 8-foot vines bear wide, flat, stringless pods. | 60 - 70 |
|
Jack and the Beanstalk |
Pole green bean. 10- to 20-foot vines bear green pods eaten fresh or later white seeds for soup. Polish heirloom. | 85 |
|
Jeminez |
Romano-type pole bean with red-purple streaked pods. | 80 |
|
Kentucky Blue |
Pole green bean, cross of Kentucky Wonder and Blue Lake. 6- to 8-foot vines bear round, straight, stringless, 6-to 7-inch pods with white beans. Resistant to rust. 1991 All American Selection. | 57 - 65 |
|
Kentucky Blue Wonder |
Heirloom pole green bean. Plants bear clustered, oval, gently curving, 7- to 9-inch pods. Stringless when young. Light brown beans can be used for shelling. Also known as Old Homestead Brown Seeded Pole bean. | 58 - 68 |
|
Kentucky Wonder |
Heirloom pole green bean. Vines bear 9-inch oval, thick, curved, green pods that are stringless when young. Widely adapted. Can be harvested for dry/shell beans. Also known as 'Old Homestead'. | 65 |
|
Kentucky Wonder Wax |
Pole yellow (wax) bean with 6- to 8- inch pods for snap or later for brown dry shell beans. | 61 - 65 |
|
King of the Garden |
Pole lima bean with 8- to 10-foot vines bearing 4- to 8-inch, dark-green pods with 4 to 6, large, white, easy-to-shell beans. | 85 - 88 |
|
Kwintus |
Early pole bean with long, flat, green pods that stay tender and flavorful even when large. | 60 - 80 |
|
La Spagna |
Italian pole bean usually used fresh shelled or dry, but also as green bean if picked young (around 5 to 6 inches). Vines bear 9- to 10-inch pods with huge white seeds. Harvest around 80 days for fresh shelled, 90 days or more for dry beans. | 80 - 90 |
|
Lamon |
Italian pole borlotto type for fresh-cooked shell beans. Vines bear rose-mottled creamy white beans. | 75 - 80 |
|
Lazy Wife |
Heirloom pole green bean. Vines bear stringless pods. Also listed as Lazy Housewife. | 75 - 80 |
|
Lingua di Fuoco (bush) |
Italian bush borlotto type for fresh-cooked shell beans, similar to pole type with the same name. Plants bear cream-colored, red-speckled pods with 5 to 7 creamy white beans with red splotches per pod. | 70 |
|
Lingua di Fuoco (pole) |
Italian pole borlotto type for fresh-cooked shell beans, similar to bush type with the same name. Vines bear cream-colored, red-speckled pods with 5 to 7 creamy white beans with red splotches per pod. | 75 - 80 |
|
Logan Giant |
Heirloom snap pole bean. 6- to 8-foot vines bear green pods with brown seeds. | 61 - 70 |
|
Louisiana Purple Pod |
Heirloom pole bean. Drought-tolerant, purple-green vines with textured leaves and bright purple stems and flowers bear bright purple, 7-inch pods that turn green when cooked. Harvest when young and stringless. Seeds are light to medium brown. | 67 |
|
Malibu |
Pole green bean with straight, 7-inch, green pods. Resistant to bean mosaic virus (race 1), curly top virus and halo blight. | 60 |
|
Marengo |
Italian pole Romano bean. Vines bear large, flattened, bright yellow pods. | 75 |
|
Marvel of Venice |
Italian heirloom, pole yellow bean bearing 8- to 9-inch by 3/4-inch pods with white beans. | 54 |
|
Mayflower |
Heirloom, pole, green snap and dry bean. Vines bear short, stringy pods with small square seeds. | 100 |
|
McCaslan |
Heirloom pole green bean with 8-inch, round, stringless pods. Also good for shell beans. | 65 |
|
Meraviglia Venezia |
Early Italian yellow pole Romano type. Vines bear yellow pods that grow to 10 inches or more while remaining tender and stringless. | 55 - 60 |
|
Mezcla |
Phaseolus lunatus. Pole lima bean. 3-4 beans per 3 inch pod. About 65 to 75 days to maturity. | 65 - 75 |
|
Missouri Wonder |
Heirloom pole dry bean. Vines bear pinto like beans. | NA |
|
Molly Frazier's White Cutshort |
Heirloom pole green/dry bean from the Ozarks. Short vines bear green beans with bright white seeds. | NA |
|
Moonlight |
Pole or runner bean type with a little French bean in its ancestry. Vines reaching up to 10 feet will need a structure to climb on such as a trellis or a bean tower. Vines produce self-pollinating white flowers that develop into extra smooth, very fleshy, stringless green pods 9 to 11 inches long. Heat tolerant. Days to maturity from seed about 65 to 80. Also know as 'Moonlight Runner' 'Moonlight Bean' 'Moonlight Runner Bean' | 65 - 80 |
|
Murasakiirohana Fujimame |
Japanese hyacinth pole bean. Green-leaved vines with purplish stems and veins bear flat, thick, curved, red pods. Young pods can be sliced or used whole, either boiled or stir-fried. | 100 |
|
Musica |
Romano pole bean. 6-foot vines beaer flat, 7- to 8-inch green beans. | 67 |
|
NT Half Runner Beans |
White half-runner pole snap bean. Plants grow tall (need trellis) and produce have 4 to 6 inch stringless tender hull pods with white seeds. About 77 days to harvest. Also know as Non-Tough Half Runner Pole Snap Bean or NT Half Runner Pole Snap Bean | 77 |
|
Neckargold |
French/Italian yellow (wax) pole bean bred in the Netherlands. Vines bear long, oval to slightly flattened, deep-yellow, white-seeded pods. | 60 |
|
Neopolitan Pole |
Pole green/Romano bean with large, long, sweet pods. | 60 |
|
Northeaster |
Dutch pole green bean with flat, stringless, 8- by 3/4-inch pods with white beans. | 55 - 56 |
|
Ohio Cutshort |
Cutshort pole bean. Vines bear 3- to 4-inch, tender, green pods. | 80 |
|
Old Time Cutshort |
Cutshort pole bean. Vines bear 3- to 4-inch pods with speckled seeds. | 75 |
|
Pole Romano |
Pole Italian-type green/Romano bean with medium-green, stringless, flat pods. Also known as 'Romano Snap Pole'. | 60 - 70 |
|
Potomac |
Pole green bean. Vines bear 6 1/2-inch, slightly curved, stringless beans. | 67 |
|
Purple King |
Purple pole bean with 5- to 6-inch, shiny, purple pods. | 75 |
|
Purple Marconi |
Purple Romano pole bean. 8-foot vines bear violet-purple, 5- to 7-inch, flat, stringless pods that turn green when cooked. | 67 |
|
Purple Moon |
Hyacinth pole bean. Vines bear red-purple flowers and flat, thick, curved, red-purple pods. Young pods can be sliced or used whole, either boiled or stir-fried. | 100 |
|
Purple Podded Pole |
Purple-podded, heirloom, pole bean. Purple-tinged, 6-foot vines bear deep-wine-red, stringless, 5- to 7-inch by 1/2-inch pods. | 65 - 75 |
|
Ram's Horn |
Pole green/dry bean. Plants with dark-green foliage bear green pods and beige beans with a black swirl that resembles a ram's horn. | NA |
|
Ramdor |
Pole yellow (wax) bean with straight, clustered, 7-inch, yellow pods. | 45 - 50 |
|
Rattlesnake |
Pole green bean bearing 7- to 10-inch, dark-green pods with purple streaks and tan beans with dark stripes. Excellent for freezing. Drought tolerant. Not well-adapted for northern climates. | 65 - 85 |
|
Romano 14 |
Bush Romano type. Low, spreading plants bear fairly straight, thick 3/4- by 6-inch, stringless pods. Bush version of 'Pole Romano'. | 54 |
|
Ruth Bible |
Heirloom pole green bean. Long vines bear 3 1/2-inch pods with brownish-tan seeds. Best picked when small and tender before strings form. Drought-resistant. | NA |
|
Santa Anna |
Italian green pole bean. Vines bear long, slim, deep-green pods. | 60 |
|
Scarlet Runner |
The Perennial Bean. Flowers, Beans and Roots are edible. Vines bear long, smooth, Stringless beans, harvest pods 6-9" long. | 60 |
|
Seychelles |
Phaseolus vulgaris. Green pole bean. Plant has vigorous dark green vines. Plant matures to a height of 7' to 9'. Pods are about 6". Can be grown in a container. Disease resistant variety. Resistance to and bean common mosaic virus. About 55 days to maturity. 2017 All American Selection. | 55 |
|
Shirohana Fujimame |
Hyacinth pole bean. bear white flowers and flat, thick, curved, green pods. Young pods can be sliced or used whole, either boiled or stir-fried. | 100 |
|
Shirohana Mame |
Asian pole shell bean. Vines bear white flowers and 8-inch pods with 1-inch, white seeds. | 80 |
|
Sieva Lima |
Pole lima bean. Dark green, 9- to 10-foot vines bear broad, flat, medium-green, 3- to 4-inch pods with small white seeds. | 60 - 75 |
|
Signora Della Campagna |
Italian pole bean used fresh shelled or dry. Vines bear curved, green and red pods with cream-colored beans with red splotches. | NA |
|
Smeraldo |
Romano-type pole bean from Northern Italy. 4- to 6-foot vines bear 8- to 10-inch, flat, stringless pods. | 55 |
|
Spanish Musica |
Pole green bean. Vines bear broad, flat, 7- to 9-inch pods with slightly scalloped edges. | 62 |
|
Speckled Cranberry |
Pole shell/dry bean. Vines bear slender, green, stringless, 7- to 9-inch, nearly round pods until the first frost. | 60 - 90 |
|
Stringless Blue Lake |
Pole green bean with 6- to 7-foot vines bearing 6- to 6 1/2-inch, slender, smooth, clustered pods. | 60 - 65 |
|
Sultan's Green Crescent |
(Phaseolus vulgaris). Pole snap bean bean. Vines produce stringless distinct curled beans. About 75 days to maturity. | 75 |
|
Sultan's Golden Crescent |
Heirloom pole yellow snap bean. Vines bear stringless, curly yellow pods. | 75 |
|
Super Marconi |
Romano-type green pole bean. Vines bear broad, flat, stringless beans that stay tender up to 10 to 11 inches long. Also known as 'Supermarconi'. | NA |
|
Taiwan Black Long Bean |
Asian pole long bean. Vines bear light-green 38-inch pods black beans. | NA |
|
Tanya |
Pink pole 'green' bean. Vines bear long, flat, slender, pink pods that turn green when cooked. | 60 |
|
Thai Red Seeded Long Bean |
Asian pole long bean. Plants bear smooth, 24-inch pods with deep red-speckled seed. | NA |
|
Tobacco Worm |
Heirloom pole snap bean from eastern Kentucky. Vines bear large green pods with an average of 6 beans. Pods stay tender until they begin to turn yellow. | 60 |
|
Tricolor Pole |
Mix of three pole beans: Blue Lake (green), Yellow Pole Wax (yellow) and Purple Peacock (purple). | 60 |
|
Trionfo Violetto |
Phaseolus vulgaris. Pole bean. Southern European variety with 7 inch, slender, oval-rounded pods with brown beans. Pods turn green when cooked. Also known as 'Trionfo' and 'Purple Trionfo Violetto'. About 60 to 72 days to maturity. | 60 - 72 |
|
True Red Cranberry |
Pole green snap or dry/shell bean. 6-foot vines bear slender, green, stringless 7- to 9-inch nearly round pods with round, reddish seeds. Harvest shell beans at 80 days or dry beans at full maturity. | 60 - 95 |
|
Turkey Craw |
Heirloom pole green bean. Vines bear 3 1/2- to 4-inch pods with buff seeds frosted with brown on one end. | NA |
|
Uncle Steve's Italian |
Pole green/purple-podded bean. Vines bear variegated green pods with purple stripes that are slightly curved at the end | 70 |
|
Ura |
Green pole bean. 8-foot or taller plants bear 6- to 7-inch dark green, pencil-thick, white-seeded pods. | 60 |
|
Violet Podded Stringless |
Open-pollinated, purple-podded, pole bean. 5-foot vines bear 6- to 7-inch, brown-seeded, purple beans that turn green when cooked. | 70 |
|
Weinlanderin |
Swiss heirloom pole green bean. Vines bear 5- to 6-inch, stringless, light-green pods with purple mottling. | 65 |
|
White Christmas |
Pole lima bean. Vines bear pods with large, ivory-white seeds with a purplish blush on one corner. | 80 |
|
Willow Leaf |
Heirloom pole lima bean with 3 1/2-inch pods containing 3 or 4 creamy white beans. Heat and drought resistant. | 90 |
|
Worchester Indian Red |
Pole lima bean. Vines bear medium-sized dull red to maroon beans. Heat- and drought-resistant. plants and is a prolific producer under adverse conditions. Seeds range in color from . | NA |
|
Wren's Egg |
Heirloom, pole, dry bean that can also be harvested as a snap bean when pods are young. Plants bear slender, green, 7-inch, stringless pods. | 63 |
|
Yard Long |
Asparagus pole bean with 4-foot vines bearing 2-foot, green pods with red beans. Best picked at 1 foot. | 90 |
|
Yellow Annellino |
Round-podded, yellow pole bean. | NA |
|
Yellow Romano |
Pole yellow (wax)/Italian Romano type with 8 foot vines bearing creamy yellow, 5-inch, flat pods. | 74 |