Beans are one of the first vegetables I grew as a young lad, I've always thought of them as being a little harder to kill than anything else. Thinking back on it I think it may have been because they produce their own nitrogen (using Rhizobium soil bacteria) and don't need really rich soils to crop well. Bean seeds are also larger than most other types of vegetable and often of different colouration depending on variety, which when combined with their ease of growing makes them great for getting the children interested in gardening. Our full range of heirloom bush bean, broad bean, climbing bean and tropical bean seeds available to buy is listed below. For dried beans and other pulses please visit our Pulse & Dried Bean Seeds page.
Heirloom Bean Seeds
Asparagus Pea
Asparagus Pea is an annual groundcover with vibrant red flowers that turn into green pods with wavy margins. Pods taste a little like asparagus but are astringent raw so should be cooked. Older pods are fibrous so pick when young. The pods are shaped like those of the larger climbing winged bean, although are much smaller. 15 seeds per packet.
Broad Bean 'Aquadulce'
Aquadulce is a high yielding, early heirloom broad bean variety producing prolific quantities of long pods up to 20cm in length. Fragrant black and white flowers. Large, white seeded variety. Nutty flavour with good texture. Each packet contains 24 seeds.
Bush Bean 'Brown Beauty'
Brown Beauty is a heirloom bush bean producing flat green pods to 14cm long. High yielding variety with good disease resistance. 30 seeds per packet.
Bush Bean 'Cherokee Wax'
Cherokee Wax is a yellow dwarf bush bean variety with crisp and tender pods. Takes 9 weeks to maturity. Each packet contains 30 seeds.
Bush Bean 'Gourmet Delight'
Gourmet Delight is a string-less variety of dwarf bush bean that produces tender, sweet, 15cm long, dark green pods. This variety takes 8 to 9 weeks from planting the seed to harvest. Each packet contains 30 seeds.
Bush Bean 'Plazza'
Plazza is a European-style dwarf flat bean variety that produces uniform pods to 15cm long. Pods are stringless with a crisp texture and sweet flavour. Early producing. Benefits from being staked as heavy crops can cause the plants to topple over. 30 seeds per packet.
Bush Bean 'Royal Burgundy'
Royal Burgundy is a bush bean that has purple pods which can be eaten as a fresh bean, although they lose their purple colour on cooking. Early producing and well suited to cooler areas. Rich bean flavour. 30 seeds per packet.
Bush Bean 'Sunray'
Sunray is a compact, heirloom bush bean variety that produces long, round, string-less green pods. Good resistance to bean rust and common mosaic virus. Delicious sweet flavour. Produces over a long period. 9-10 weeks to harvest. 30 seeds per packet.
Bush Bean 'Tongue Of Fire'
Tongue of Fire is a bush bean that has flattened, red-streaked, green pods. The pods can be eaten whole when young or left to mature until the red-speckled seeds inside the pods are ready to harvest as a dried bean. 24 seeds per packet.
Climbing Bean 'Blue Lake'
Blue Lake is a heirloom climbing bean that produces long, rounded green pods which are fleshy and tender. High yielding variety. Good resistance to common bean mosaic virus. Grows well in warmer climates. 11 to 12 weeks to harvest. 30 seeds per packet.
Climbing Bean 'Kentucky Wonder'
Kentucky Wonder is a climbing bean that produces large clusters of tasty flattened green pods. Heavy producer. Stringless and most tender when picked young. This variety is resistant to bean rust. 30 seeds per packet.
Climbing Bean 'Purple King'
Climbing Bean 'Purple King' is an easy to grow variety that produces long, vibrant purple pods. 10 to 11 weeks from sowing to first harvest. Each packet contains 24 seeds.
Climbing Bean 'Scarlet Runner'
Scarlet Runner Bean is a highly productive climbing bean that produces large green pods. Pods edible when young but should be cooked to deactivate toxins they contain. Alternatively pods can be left to mature and the large purple and black seeds inside harvested as a dried bean. Grows best in cooler climates. 14 seeds per packet.
Snake Bean 'Black Seeded'
This is a climbing variety of snake bean with black seeds. This variety is a prolific producer of long pale-green pods to 30cm in length. Best picked young while the seeds are still small and the pods are still tender. Each packet contains 24 seeds.
Snake Bean 'Dwarf Burgundy'
Dwarf Burgundy is a rare open-pollinated snake bean variety that produces long red pods that are held above a bushy dwarf plant. Occasionally produces trailing branches but this is a non-climbing variety. 20 seeds per packet.
Snake Bean 'Red Dragon'
Red Dragon is a heirloom snake bean variety that produces very long, dark-green pods containing seeds that are pale red once dry. The beans of this variety can reach 50cm long. Excellent sliced and added to stir fries. Pods are best picked young when they're at their most tender. Grows well in warmer climates. 20 seeds per packet.
Soybean 'Edamame'
Large-seeded heirloom variety of soybean used for making traditional Japanese Edamame. Cook the fresh green pods in salted water and eat just the delicious, nutty seeds inside. The pods will be tough and fibrous and should be discarded. 30 seeds per packet.
Winged Bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus)
Winged Bean is a tropical bean well suited to warm climates, although it does die back during Winter in all but the most tropical areas of Australia. The pods, flowers, tubers and leaves of this plant are all edible. Each packet contains 9 seeds.