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Filet Cultivars
Compared to snap beans, filet beans are slimmer, and are usually prepared whole instead of cutting into pieces.
Also called haricot verts or French filet beans, these tend to be very tender and make excellent side dishes.
10. Beananza
‘Beananza’ was developed by Burpee to be an abundant producer of tender, stringless filet beans. Delectable seven-inch pods are dark green and fiberless.
Small plants reach just 15 inches in height, perfect for container growing – and if picked regularly, they will keep producing for far longer than other cultivars.
‘Beananza’ comes to maturity in 55 days.
You can find ‘Beananza’ seeds available exclusively at Burpee.
11. Desperado
This heavy yielding cultivar may make you want to hum a classic rock tune while you’re in the garden – but ‘Desperado’ will not leave you feeling desperate for bush beans.
It will keep on giving and giving loads of delicious, dark green filet pods throughout the summer.
These slim haricot verts are five and a half inches long, straight, and have brown seeds.
Upright plants grow 12 to 15 inches tall, and have a high tolerance to mosaic virus.
‘Desperado’ is also highly heat tolerant, and will come to maturity in 55 days.
You can find packets containing 200 seeds available at Burpee.
12. Masai
‘Masai’ is an heirloom haricot vert that’s perfect for container gardening or small spaces.
This open-pollinated French variety is disease resistant and reliable, producing slender green pods with white seeds.
‘Masai’ provides a harvest of stringless, four-inch-long “baby” filet bush beans that are tender, tasty, and easy to pick.
Small, compact plants reach 12 inches in height.
Since plants are on the small side, they are not as high yielding as some other varieties, but the tradeoff is that they make excellent potted plants.
Plants are resistant to mosaic virus, bacterial brown spot, and curly top virus.
‘Masai’ matures very early, providing a harvest in just 47 days.
You can find ‘Masai’ seeds for purchase in packets of various sizes at True Leaf Market.
13. Mascotte
If you’re looking for a filet bush bean to grow in containers or small spaces, but want pods a bit larger than the baby filets that ‘Masai’ produces, ‘Mascotte’ is an excellent choice.
In fact, ‘Mascotte’ even won over All-America Selection judges, who awarded it the prize for best new edible variety in 2014.
‘Mascotte’ is open-pollinated, and produces abundant harvests of six-inch-long filet beans in just 50 to 55 days.
The green pods from this award winner are stringless, crunchy, and very tasty.
Compact plants grow 16 to 20 inches tall, and hold pods above their foliage, making picking easy.
Once the plants start producing, harvest every two to four days.
This variety also has excellent disease resistance, standing up well against anthracnose, mosaic virus, and halo blight.
You can find ‘Mascotte’ seeds for purchase at True Leaf Market, in packs of 1,000 or 10,000 seeds.
14. Maxibel
‘Maxibel is a French heirloom that comes with the advantage of performing well in cool soils.
This open-pollinated variety produces generous yields of tender, thin, filet style bush beans that are typically picked when they are six to eight inches long.
Pods have an intense flavor. They are green with dark seeds, and stringless if picked young and often.
Plants grow to 15 to 20 inches in height, and reach maturity in 65 days.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at High Mowing Organic Seeds.
15. Triomphe de Farcy
Maybe container gardening isn’t your thing and what you really want is an early maturing filet style bush bean. If so, let me introduce you to ‘Triomphe de Farcy.’
This is an open-pollinated French heirloom – sometimes called ‘Triumph de Farcy’ – that matures early and produces an abundant and flavorful crop.
Its pods are green and sometimes streaked with purple. They are slender, crunchy, and stringless when picked young.
Pods should be picked often, when they are three to six inches in length, for best texture and flavor.
Plants have general disease resistance and reach 15 to 20 inches in height. You’ll be harvesting ‘Triomphe de Farcy’ beans in just 48 days.
‘Triomphe de Farcy’ seeds can be purchased in 2-ounce packets at Burpee.
Long Podded Cultivars
To contrast with the somewhat diminutive filet cultivars, I’m now going to explore the opposite end of the bush bean spectrum – varieties with particularly long pods.
While they may not be as long as Chinese long beans, these long-podded varieties can give you more bean for your buck – and still have that familiar green bean taste.
16. Big Kahuna
‘Big Kahuna’ is a bit of a paradox. It produces the largest pods of the 35 varieties presented here – yet these mammoth bush beans hang from compact plants that easily adapt to containers.
‘Big Kahuna’ produces green snaps that can reach a monster length of 11 inches, while still remaining crisp and tender and keeping their delicious, nutty flavor.
Compact plants grow to 24 inches in height.
‘Big Kahuna’ will come to maturity in 57 days after planting.
You can find ‘Big Kahuna’ seeds in two and eight-ounce packets exclusively at Burpee.
17. Blue Lake 274
Brace yourself to be knocked out by this super producer. ‘Blue Lake 274’ is an open-pollinated variety that gives an extra heavy yield of long snaps.
The sweet tasting six- to eight-inch pods are green and tender.
Plants are compact, growing to 18 inches tall, and maturing in 58 days.
You can find ‘Blue Lake 274’ seeds available at Botanical Interests.
18. Jade
In addition to its tasty, long pods, ‘Jade’ has so much going for it. This heirloom is open-pollinated and tolerant to stress, heat, and cold. It is also disease resistant and very productive.
‘Jade’ produces slender, seven-inch-long, dark green pods that are straight, crisp, and tender – and enclose pale green seeds.
This is a popular variety among gardeners, with an excellent flavor and texture that holds up beautifully to canning.
Although plants are resistant to cool temperatures, like most other beans, they require warm soils for the best rates of germination.
Plants are strong and upright with beans held off the ground, making picking easy.
‘Jade’ is resistant to bean mosaic virus, curly top virus, bacterial brown spot, and rust.
This variety reaches maturity in 57 days.
You can find ‘Jade’ seeds available at High Mowing Organic Seeds.
19. Kentucky Wonder 125
If ‘Jade’ sounds great but you just can’t wait 57 days, how about an earlier maturing variety for your crop of long-podded snap beans?
‘Kentucky Wonder 125’ is an open-pollinated heirloom that will give you an early and prolific harvest in just 48 to 50 days.
Pods are seven to eight inches long and flat, with a medium green color and white seeds. These long snaps are tasty and they have a meaty texture.
Plants grow to 16 inches tall and are resistant to mosaic virus and Northern leaf blight.
You can find ‘Kentucky Wonder 125’ seeds at Eden Brothers.
20. Top Crop
‘Top Crop’ is an early, low maintenance heirloom that won the All-America Selections Gold Medal in the edible category in 1950.
Also known as ‘Topcrop,’ this open-pollinated variety produces heavy yields of seven-inch-long straight pods.
Medium green pods are fiberless with a meaty texture, and very tasty.
‘Top Crop’ is a great all-purpose bush bean, making for delicious fresh eating, but also holding up beautifully to canning and freezing.
Vigorous plants grow to 15 to 18 inches tall and are resistant to mosaic virus.
An early maturing bush bean, ‘Top Crop’ will be ready to harvest in just 52 days.
You can find ‘Top Crop’ seeds in a wide range of packet sizes available at True Leaf Market.
Yellow Podded Cultivars
We’re now stepping away from green bush beans for a while to consider some yellow podded varieties.
Commonly called “wax beans,” the yellow pods of these cultivars are easy to spot on green plants and keep their yellow coloring when cooked.
21. Cherokee Wax
Also known as ‘Cherokee,’ this heirloom open-pollinated variety was an All-America Selections Winner in 1948.
It was developed at Clemson University in South Carolina and is well-loved for its productivity and vigor, as well as its delicious, stringless wax beans.
Pods are colored light yellow with black seeds, and reach five to six inches in length.
They are tasty, nutty, and tender, retaining their stringless quality even when mature.
‘Cherokee Wax’ makes for excellent fresh eating, but also cans and freezes well.
Plants grow to 24 inches tall and can become somewhat viney, so make sure you give them enough room to sprawl.
‘Cherokee Wax’ is resistant to mosaic virus and comes to maturity in 58 days.
You can find ‘Cherokee Wax’ seeds at Eden Brothers.
22. Gold Mine
‘Gold Mine’ is an early maturing wax variety that grows in clusters, making picking even easier.
This open-pollinated cultivar produces heavy yields of smooth, straight yellow snaps that hold white seeds.
Pods are five to six inches long, sweet, crisp, and delicious whether eaten fresh or frozen.
Plants are upright and compact, reaching 15 to 20 inches in height.
‘Gold Mine’ is resistant to bacterial brown spot, mosaic virus, and halo blight.
You’ll be ready to harvest your ‘Gold Mine’ crop in 55 days after planting.
You can find ‘Gold Mine’ seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Burpee.
23. Gold Rush Wax
‘Gold Rush Wax’ is an open-pollinated reliable grower whose beans hold well in the garden – and in the fridge.
This cultivar produces high yields of slender, straight pods that mature in 54 days.
Light yellow pods are five and a half inches long, crisp, and tasty.
Plants grow to 16 to 20 inches tall and are resistant to mosaic virus, curly top virus, root rot, and bacterial brown spot.
You can find ‘Gold Rush Wax’ seeds for purchase in a variety of packet sizes at True Leaf Market.
24. Golden Wax
‘Golden Wax’ is a productive, stringless wax bush bean that is also early to mature – ready to harvest in just 50 days.
This open-pollinated variety produces bright yellow snaps that grow to four to five inches in length, and have a tasty, buttery flavor.
Plants have an upright habit and reach 16 to 18 inches tall with a minimal spread, ideal for container gardening.
‘Golden Wax’ is resistant to mosaic virus and rust.
You can find ‘Golden Wax’ seeds in an assortment of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
25. Pencil Pod Wax
Here’s an heirloom that’s been proving itself since 1900. ‘Pencil Pod Wax’ is a heavy producer that’s early maturing and disease resistant.
This open-pollinated variety produces abundant harvests of straight pods that reach five to seven inches in length.
‘Pencil Pod Wax’ is known for its tasty yellow snaps that are stringless and tender. They contain black seeds.
Plants reach 20 inches in height, and are resistant to mosaic virus and powdery mildew.
‘Pencil Pod Wax’ will give you your first of multiple crops in 52 days.
You can find ‘Pencil Pod Wax’ seeds for purchase in a variety of packet sizes at Eden Brothers.
Purple Podded Cultivars
If you like the idea of adding some unexpected color to your garden, purple-podded bush beans are a wonderful addition, both as an edible and an ornamental option.
These plants have lovely purple flowers as well.
Just like wax beans, purple podded bush beans stand out from their green foliage, making them easier to see for picking.
And while your harvest will be purple hued, when cooked these beans turn green.
26. Amethyst
‘Amethyst’ is an open-pollinated variety that produces attractive filet style bush beans that are tasty both raw and cooked.
Flavorful purple pods are five to five and a half inches long, thin, straight, and stringless, and they hold tan seeds.
Plants are upright, medium sized, and have excellent resistance to mosaic virus.
‘Amethyst’ reaches maturity in 56 days.
27. Purple Queen
‘Purple Queen’ has a combination of some of the best characteristics of all the bush beans in this list – it’s stringless, early maturing, productive, and disease resistant.
Add to that impressive resume the fact that it’s a beautiful deep purple hue, and you may find this royal cultivar irresistible.
‘Purple Queen’ is an open-pollinated heirloom that produces tender, seven-inch-long snaps with a nice beany taste.
Plants grow to 15 to 20 inches in height, have good general disease resistance, and are tolerant of cooler weather.
‘Purple Queen’ will be ready to harvest in just 52 days after planting.
You can find ‘Purple Queen’ seeds for purchase in 2-ounce packets available at Burpee.
28. Purple Teepee
Despite its name, which might suggest a climber, ‘Purple Teepee’ is a bush variety.
Open pollinated, it produces straight, slender, stringless snaps that are held above the plant for easy picking.
The violet-colored pods should be picked at four to five inches long for the best flavor and texture.
Highly productive plants reach 18 inches in height and come to maturity in 60 days.
29. Royal Burgundy
Living up to its lofty name, ‘Royal Burgundy’ is an overachiever. It has incredible disease and insect resistance, and is even able to germinate in cool soil.
An open-pollinated heirloom introduced in 1976, this cultivar also goes by the names ‘Royal Purple Burgundy,’ ‘Royal Purple Pod,’ and ‘Royal Purple Podded.’
This is an excellent variety for gardeners dealing with cool spring or early summer temperatures, to which it is very tolerant.
Deep purple pods should be harvested at five inches or smaller, when they will be the most tender.
Theses snaps contain tan seeds and they have a mild taste. Plants are dark green with purple tinted stems and petioles, reaching 24 inches in height.
‘Royal Burgundy’ stands up well to Mexican bean beetles, and has good resistance to mosaic virus, powdery mildew, and white mold.
You’ll be gathering your harvest from this regal plant in 50 days.
You can find ‘Royal Burgundy’ seeds available at High Mowing Organic Seeds.
30. Velour
Have you been waiting for a purple podded variety to grow in containers? ‘Velour’ is your bean!
‘Velour’ is an open-pollinated, heavy producer of four- to five-inch-long, stringless filet bush beans.
Pods are straight and slender, with a beautiful royal purple color and beige seeds.
These extra fine filet beans have a rich flavor and are excellent for eating fresh or freezing.
Plants are upright, medium sized, and compact, ideal for container gardens.
‘Velour’ has high resistance to both mosaic virus and halo blight, and reaches maturity in 55 days.
Romano Varieties
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Kristina Hicks-Hamblin
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