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Painted Lady Improved Runner Bean

6Reviews
SKU: 0319
$3.95 to $21.00

Item Details

(aka Bicolor Runner, Painted Runner) Friar Antonio de Arrabida described this species in Flora of Rio de Janeiro in 1827. Incredibly beautiful bi-colored blossoms are very attractive to hummingbird moths. This strain is less affected by warmer temperatures than other runner beans and is a prolific bloomer. Esteemed as both an ornamental and edible climber.


  • 68 days
  • Conventional
  • Pole bean
  • Bi-colored blossoms attract hummingbirds
  • Beans are black and speckled with tan edges
  • Esteemed as both an ornamental and edible climber
  • Tolerates heat

This variety works for:

  • Fresh eating
  • Baking
  • Roasting
  • Soups
  • Ornamental


As your runner beans are maturing, you can either prepare the young pods or shell them and toss the fresh seeds into salads with mint, feta, and hulled corn. You can also add the flowers to salads or use them as a garnish.


If you grow your runner beans as dry beans, try adding them to spicy Moroccan stews or Asian curries as the flavor of the bean will hold up well. They even work in chili recipes.

Growing Instructions

Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Runner beans prefer full sun, although they tolerate part shade very well. Young pods can be eaten whole, or the beans can be eaten fresh or dried. Even the flowers are edible.

  • Direct Seed: 2" Apart
  • Seed Depth: 1"
  • Rows Apart: 24-36"
  • Support: Trellis, tepee, or netting

Ratings & Reviews

6 reviews

Hummingbirds love this.

by

Great producer! Huge beans!

Beautiful & tasty!

by

One of my favorite beans! The bonus is the beautiful flowers that attract bumble bees & humming birds. Vigorous vines require support.

The only negative is that they don't like the heat, the flowers tend to fall off during the hottest parts of summer, but they take off again like crazy once it cools off.

My first ever hummingbird

by

I have never seen a hummingbird in my yard until this year after these started blooming.

Beautiful Blooms No Beans For Us

by

These were beautiful and continue to keep blooming, however, we haven't had a single bean. Not sure why because they seem to be thriving. If they had produced beans I would give 5 stars. We will plant again next year though because they are lovely either way.

Seed Savers’ Exchange Response:
We are glad you enjoyed the beautiful flowers of this variety. Please reach out to our customer service team to discuss possible reasons your vines didn't set any fruit. Your local extension office or Master Gardeners are also a good source for growing tips.

all hat, no cattle

by

Planted 20 feet of this bean. Beautiful blooms which bloomed profusely into October. Never did set beans. I got 8 beans from 4 pods. Loved the blooms, which attracted bees, but disappointed in the lack of beans.

Full sun and bushel baskets!!

by

Over a decade, year-to-year, in replanting the previous year harvested beans of the Painted Lady!! Mid to late summer and early autumn to a frost the bushel basket is full, smiles, to another full bushel basket at the end of harvest. Bean size average is 1/2" inch width - 3/4" length and green bean length, averages 7 1/2" inches plus. And by-the-way to note, Painted Lady attracts the hummingbird moth!!