Scarlet Runner Bean
Item Details
One of the oldest runner beans in existence. Already well-known in 1735 according to The Gardener’s Dictionary by English botanist Philip Miller; listed in America as early as 1806 by McMahon. Used for ornamental purposes or as a vegetable: small snap pods or green shell beans. Can substitute for limas in cooler climates.
- 65 days
- ±450 seeds/lb
- Conventional
- Pole bean
- Scarlet blossoms
- Beans mature to black and speckled mauve
- Used for ornamental purposes or as small snap pods or green shell beans
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.
This variety can be substituted for limas in cooler climates.
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
8 reviews
Beautiful, productive, and easy
by Northern MN
Wow, vigorous bean plants! Grew 6 feet tall and probably would have reached 10 feet had my trellis been that high. Flowered all summer long. The bees and hummingbirds loved them. Had no bug, disease, or mold problems. Plants get very heavy so use a strong, tall trellis. Will plant again next year.
Mid Minnesota Gardener
by Mid Minnesota Gardener
Planted these mid May and they grew very vigorously - lots of blossoms. They were beautiful! VERY slow to set fruit. Had blossoms all summer. Pollination was not the issue as we have honey bees. Did not set any fruit until late August and into September! Would grow these again for the flowers - don't count on getting lots of beans.
Beautiful flowers
by Zach
I grow these as an added ornamental on the same trellis/ladder as my winter squash. Since they are a bean, they also likely have some benefit as a nitrogen fixer and companion plant to my squash.
Don't produce.
by Karen Simonetti
Bought several packs of these and they never produced any beans or flowers.
Love these
by Taylor
Hummingbirds and bees love these guys. Worth planting just for that. If you have a bee garden, these produce abundant flowers and fill any brief gaps in other flowers. They do start to produce fruit later. They flower throughout the season, however. I'm thinking the nights getting longer triggers them to fruit. They usually make it to mature fruit despite the late start, though. Great looking dry bean.
The Bean That Just Keeps Growing
by Minnesota Gardener
These beans are fantastic. They ALL sprouted & grew & grew & grew. They went up my 6 foot bean trellis & just kept going. Have at least a 10 foot trellis for these beauties. Lots of flowers & beans on every plant. After saving my own seeds from these, I'm looking forward to planting a LOT more next year!
Grow for the flowers, stay for the beans!
by DiDi McD
I agree with some other reviewers: this is worth growing if for nothing else but the flowers alone. They're gorgeous! And bees and hummingbirds love them here in Colorado. No problem with production.
Dried beans are beautiful and huge. Because of size there's more volume for your effort then with other dried beans. Tasty and meaty when cooked.
Excellent germination and lots of blooms
by Danica
Excellent germination. Plants have been growing and blooming vigorously for several weeks but we've not had a single bean. Seems a common issue so hopefully we will get some as the season progresses. Lots of comments over the fence from folks admiring the abundance of bright orange blooms. I'll probably continue to grow these or another runner bean even if we don't get beans because they are unique, beautiful and low maintenance. The woodchucks and/or rabbits have eaten off the lower leaves but the plants are still growing well. Native soil, full sun, zone 5, eastern NE.