Runner bean varieties and where to buy

[Cath.S]

Hi everyone

I've been looking into the different varieties of runner beans as I would like to grow more than the two I currently have - one is completely white, the other is reddish brown with black stripes.

I know there's one that is completely black (I've hear people call them blue, too), and others that look purple/pink etc.

Can anyone help me find their names? And what online stores do you recommend?

Thank you in advance.

[Snoop Puss]

Hi Cath, I'm not a runner bean expert, but just to be clear: are you talking about the colours of the pods or of the beans themselves?

Hello and welcome to the Vine while we're waiting for experts to come along.

[Greenleaves]

Interesting question....from your descriptions I am also confused...where are you based?

[veggiechicken]

Hi Cath and welcome. I'm guessing that you mean the colour of the actual beans inside the pod? I eat runner beans, pod and all, sliced up, so the colour of the bean isn't that important. So I'm confused too! Many of the coloured beans are French beans, not runners.

[Kirk]

My "searching" is a bit limited to Moreveg, mainly as trying to tie down a tight enough criteria for beans is not easy.

They have a "blue" one called Purple Teepee, in the "pink" line there is Dwarf Barlotta Supremo Nano.

Both are classed as French Dwarf Beans. Check also their Bean French Climbing, sort of "coloured" ones there also.

Moreveg also have a section titled Bean: Unusual.

They list 5 sections headed Beans in one form or another down the list of what they offer. So fairly easy to browse through each in turn. Not all have bean images as well as pod images. I have no idea if there is a significant difference but I suspect there is or can be.

[ecudc]

Hello, do you mean runner beans which in the UK are flat beans that frow about a food long and grown for their pods not the seeds? Most of the U.K. Runner beans have either red, white or pink flowers and fairly standard large white or pinkish seeds.

I was wondering if you mean something that is grown for the bean seed like borlotti which is available from most seed suppliers in the Uk which is pink and white stripped. You can also get Gigantes which are very large beans (and they are a runner bean) from the real seed company. You can also get some American beans like Cherokee Trail of Tears which has black seeds for drying. Baker creek do them and some of the more unusual American heritage bean seeds.

If it is coloured pods that you are after then concardor is yellow and good. You can get a few purple varieties like purple teepee too from most suppliers.

[Guest]

Mrs Connell's Black (black seeded)

Enorma (pinky-brown with dark stripey markings)
Lady Di (pinky-brown with dark stripey markings)
Painted Lady (pinky-brown with dark stripey markings)
Scarlet Emperor (pinky-brown with dark stripey markings)

The stripey ones above can look purple when not dry / immature.

Czar (white seeded)
Desiree (white seeded)
White Lady (white seeded)

Salford black (? seed)
there is a black runner that someone has bred on here but can't remember their name and can't remember if the seeds are black as well.

That is about the best I can do at the moment. Welcome to the vine

Edit:

Black seeded runners are rare/ heritage varieties and you are unlikely to be able to buy them. They would be obtained via swaps or requests from home growers.

Czar http://www.realseeds.co.uk/runnerbeans.html

All the others are relatively easy to obtain. http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...eds_82518.html

[Jimny14]

Aeron purple podded I think NG. Was bred on an allotment?

[Cath.S]

Hi again everyone.

I apologise for the confusion. I meant the actual beans, not the pods. I grow runners for both the pods and the beans, someone in the family prefers them (r.beans) to french beans in a few dishes.

I'm currently based in Southern Europe.

Thank you for the warm welcome.

[Guest]

Aeron purple podded I think NG. Was bred on an allotment?

Thank you. that was the one I was thinking. https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ans_87413.html

Cath S. Just a side note. If you keep your own seed you need to isolate the plants some how has runners will cross.

Runner bean flowers need to be 'tripped' by wind or insects before the beans set, and are much more likely to cross with other varieties grown nearby than french beans. Ideally, to be sure that no crossing takes place, seed crops of runner bean should be at least 1/2 a mile away from any other varieties of runner bean. Bear in mind, though, that buildings, trees, and other barriers will limit insect flight patterns, and if you are gardening in a town or built up area, you are likely to have relatively little problems with crossing unless your immediate neighbours are also growing runner beans. If they are - or on an open site such as an allotment - your only answer may be to try to persuade your neighbours to grow the same type of runner. (taken from Real Seeds)