'Painted Lady' Runner Bean

Runner bean 'Painted Lady' (Phaseolus coccineus), Offered by Le Potager Ornemental de Catherine

The 'Painted Lady' runner bean is an ornamental and edible climbing variety , appreciated as much for its abundant production of tasty pods as for its spectacular two-tone red and white flowers .

Its green and fleshy pods , 20 to 25 cm long, are eaten young as string beans , or when ripe as dry beans . Rustic and vigorous, it tolerates cool weather better than common beans and offers a continuous harvest until the first frosts .

Characteristics of the variety

Type : Climbing Spanish bean
Plant habit : Twining, requires support
Height : 2 to 3 m
Flowering : Red and white, very ornamental
Length of pods : 20 to 25 cm
Texture : Tender when young, floury when dry
Flavor : Mild and slightly sweet
Maturity : 75 to 90 days
Tolerance : Good resistance to cool temperatures
Use : Fresh as a net bean, as a dried bean, ornamental for fences and trellises

?? Cultivation method

?? Exposure : Full sun
?? Sowing :
• Direct sowing in open ground after all risk of frost ( soil warmed to at least 16°C )
?? Sowing depth : 3 to 5 cm
?? Germination temperature : 18-25°C
? Germination time : 7 to 14 days
?? Spacing : 15 cm between plants, 60 cm between rows
?? Watering : Regular, avoid excess humidity
?? Tutoring : Essential (trellis, fence or bamboo teepee)

Thanks to its vigorous growth and spectacular flowering , the 'Painted Lady' runner bean is perfect for combining vegetable growing and garden decoration .

Use and special features

?? A bean as beautiful as it is good
Its two-tone red and white flowers attract bees and hummingbirds .

?? Versatile harvest
When young, it can be eaten like a green bean , or when dry, like a shelling bean .

?? Ideal for covering a trellis or fence
Its rapid growth makes it an excellent shade climbing plant .