An oddity: purple podded runner beans!

[Welsh Wizard]

This year I grew Polestar runner beans: not many, 18 plants in 2 large wigwams.

Most of the pods were green and rather yummy.

One plant produced deep purple pods which were also rather yummy and a whole load easier to spot and harvest! The beans themselves were purple and black and indistinguishable from regular Polestar.

I have googled and cannot find mention of purple podded runner beans: I guess it is a mutant?

I am saving seed and will be seeing if the mutation continues down the line!

Anyone else seen or grown purple podded runner beans?

[SarzWix]

No, but they sound cool!! If they come through purple next year from your saved seeds please may I beg a few for the 2011 season? (I have beans and tall peas to swap )

[Welsh Wizard]

It was mighty cool: I have seen a fair few runner beans in my time but never an entirely purple podded one. I can report that the full colour did not survive steaming or boiling, though there was a hint remaining. Harvesting was a piece of cake, which left more time for eating! Taste was as normal. When dry the pod is black, not the brown of the rest of my crop.

If they come through purple again in 2010 I will be most chuffed: the variety will have to be named "Purple Pleasure" if that is not too saucy! I currently have a dozen seeds which I am carefully drying, so I will have my fingers crossed during spring 2010 that the rogue seeds grow and multiply so we can all grow purple runners in future!

[kiwirach]

wow! how cool!. fingers crossed for next year.

[Jillyreeves]

Excellent :-) I hope they come true again for you next year a world with Purple Runner Beans would be great.

[zazen999]

If runners produced purple beans, I'd grow them. Be prepared for an onslaught this time next year if they come true

[lottie dolly]

very good welsh wizard,hope they come again for you,how exiting,
a few peeps have had similar experiences this year,with different beans,something in the waters

[Flummery]

Runners are notoriously promiscuous. Must have had a party one night!
When you grow them on next year, try to grow they well away from any other runners - for example, at home and the others at an allotment or relative's garden. They sound fantastic. Not a fan of runners myself but as has been said, with one like this I could be persuaded!

[Welsh Wizard]

I have taken a quick webcam snap showing three different beans from the plot, the green one is a regular polestar, the purple one is the last sad purple pod left dangling on the plant, with a regular polestar pod at a similar state of pod drying/leatheriness.

[RedThorn]

if you can keep them from crossing again as Aunty Flum has stated and they bread true, you're suddenly gonna have a LOT of friends lol

Quick question were these self saved from last year?

[Welsh Wizard]

The seed was bought in not self saved. It looks like next year will be the year to see if any of the next generation produce similar results. I assume the gene for this is probably rather recessive, so the chances are that it may need a little bit of cunning breeding and rogueing to get a stable outcome?

[Snadger]

Is there not a climbing french bean that resembles a purple runner? I have some growing which I was given off a kind grape! They are 7 foot high and the pods are purple and have a wrinkled skin like a runner bean.
Apart from a wrinkled skin, what is the difference between a runner and and a frenchie?

[zazen999]

Cosse Violettes Snadger?

[Welsh Wizard]

Runner beans=Phaseolus coccineus
French bean=Phaseolus vulgaris

So different species but pretty closely related on the great tree of life!

[basketcase]

Runner beans=Phaseolus coccineus
French bean=Phaseolus vulgaris

So different species but pretty closely related on the great tree of life!

But apart from that?

Thanks, Snadger, for asking a question I've been plucking up courage to ask!