Bean Guide
Pole & Specialty Bean Comparison Chart
Compare our climbing and specialty beans side by side: pole snap beans, runners and half runners, yard-long beans, pole limas and dry beans, plus fava, chickpea and edamame. Varieties are grouped by type and sorted by days to maturity, with height, how each bean is eaten and disease resistance. Looking for bush beans? See our Bush Bean Comparison Chart. Tap any variety to see full details and order seed.
Pole snap
Big yields from a small footprint. Pick for weeks all summer.
flowersRunners
Showy blooms and old-time flavor. Half runners need only a short fence.
heat loversYard-long
Pencil-thin pods a foot or more long. Great in stir-fries.
shell & dryLimas & dry
Grow for fresh-shelled limas or beans to dry for soups.
Pole Snap Beans
| Variety | Days | Pod Color | Height | Use | Notes | Disease Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
55 | Green | 8 ft | Snap | Early, slender, stringless |
ABCMV
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58 | Green | 7 ft | Snap | Classic beany flavor | — |
| 60 | Green | 7 ft | Snap | Filet pods to 11 in. | — |
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63 | Green | 7 ft | Snap | Stringless 7 in. pods | BCMV |
| 65 | Green | 7 ft | Snap or dry | Silver-speckled seed | — |
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73 | Green | 7 ft | Snap | Kentucky Wonder × Blue Lake | — |
Runner & Half-Runner Beans
| Variety | Days | Pod Color | Height | Use | Notes | Disease Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | Green | 3 ft | Snap | Old-time rich flavor | — |
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60 | Green | 10 ft | Snap, shell, dry | Red flowers; hummingbirds | — |
| 65 | Green | 4 ft | Snap or dry | Appalachian favorite | — |
Yard-Long (Asparagus) Beans
| Variety | Days | Pod Color | Height | Use | Notes | Disease Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | Green | 8+ ft | Snap | Fast; crisp long pods | — |
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58 | Red | 8+ ft | Snap | Deep red pods | — |
| 75 | Green | 8 ft | Snap | Pods up to 23 in. | — |
|
| 85 | Green | 8+ ft | Snap | Sets pods in cooler weather | — |
When to plant beans
Beans need warm soil. Sow after your last frost once soil reaches 60°F; cold, wet soil rots seed. Fava and chickpea are the exception and go in during cool spring weather. Pick snap beans every few days to keep vines producing.
Pole Lima & Dry Beans
| Variety | Days | Pod Color | Height | Use | Notes | Disease Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | Green | 7 ft | Snap or dry | Scarlet flowers | — |
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65 | Green | 7 ft | Snap or dry | Colorful dry beans | — |
|
85 | Green | 8+ ft | Shell or dry | Big speckled limas | — |
|
90 | Striped | 8 ft | Snap or dry | Maroon-speckled seed | — |
|
90 | Green | 6–8 ft | Dry | Native heirloom; soups | — |
|
90 | Green | 7 ft | Fresh shell | Large buttery limas | — |
| 90 | Green | 2 ft | Dry | Six soup beans; bush | — |
Fava, Chickpea & Edamame
| Variety | Days | Pod Color | Height | Use | Notes | Disease Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | Green | 2 ft | Edamame | Early, extra-large pods | — |
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85 | Green | 4 ft | Fresh shell | Cool season; sow early | — |
|
85 | Green | 2 ft | Dry | Chickpeas for hummus | — |
|
85 | Green | 2 ft | Edamame | About 3 beans per pod | — |
Disease Resistance Codes
Days and heights are typical values from breeders and seed trials; results vary with growing conditions. A dash (—) means no resistance is published for that variety.