Types Of Bean Plants With Pictures

Choosing the right bean for your garden can be exciting. This visual guide to varieties will show you the main types of bean plants with pictures to help you decide.

Beans are a fantastic crop for gardeners. They’re nutritious, fix nitrogen in the soil, and many types are very easy to grow. Whether you have a large plot or a few containers, there’s a bean perfect for your space. Let’s look at the main categories you’ll encounter.

Beans are primarily classified by how they grow and how we eat them. The three big groups are bush beans, pole beans, and shelling beans. Each has its own advantages.

Bush Bean Varieties

Bush beans are compact plants that don’t require support. They grow about 1 to 2 feet tall and produce all their pods in a short window. This makes them ideal for canning or if you want a large harvest at once.

Blue Lake Bush: A classic green bean. It produces straight, stringless pods about 6 inches long on a reliable plant. The flavor is excellent fresh or canned.
Provider: True to its name, this bean is a vigorous and early producer. It handles cooler soil well, so you can plant it earlier in spring. The pods are round and tender.
Roma II (Romano): This is a flat-podded, Italian-style bush bean. The pods are wide, meaty, and have a distinct, hearty flavor. They are superb for sautéing.
Gold Rush (Wax Bean): These beans have beautiful yellow pods. They are easy to see among the green leaves when harvesting. The flavor is mild and buttery, and they add great color to dishes.
Dragon Tongue: A stunning heirloom bush bean. The pods are creamy yellow streaked with purple. They can be eaten young as a tender green bean or left to mature for shelling. The purple streaks fade when cooked.

Pole Bean Varieties

Pole beans are climbers that need a trellis, fence, or pole. They produce vines that can reach 8-10 feet. Their big advantage is a long, continuous harvest from mid-summer until frost.

Kentucky Wonder: Perhaps the most famous pole bean. It’s an heirloom with fantastic, old-fashioned bean flavor. The long, slightly flat pods are very productive on strong vines.
Scarlet Runner Bean: This bean is often grown for its beauty. It has vibrant red flowers that attract hummingbirds. The pods can be eaten young if picked very small, but they are often grown for their large, beautiful, edible beans inside.
Blue Lake Pole: Similar to its bush cousin but with the extended harvest of a pole bean. The pods are straight, stringless, and held conveniently off the ground. It’s a consistent favorite.
Fortex: A French filet or haricot vert bean. It produces incredibly long, slender pods (up to 11 inches!) that remain tender and stringless for a long time. Requires frequent picking.
Purple Podded Pole Bean: Varieties like ‘Trionfo Violetto’ have striking purple pods and pink flowers. The purple color dissapears when cooked, turning green, but they are easy to spot for harvest.

Shelling & Dry Bean Varieties

These beans are grown not for the tender pod, but for the mature seeds inside. You let the pods dry completely on the plant before harvesting the hard beans for storage.

Jacob’s Cattle: A beautiful New England heirloom. The beans are white with maroon spots. They hold their shape well in soups and stews and have a rich, creamy texture.
Black Turtle: The classic black bean. The plants are usually bush-type and produce well. The small, shiny black beans are essential for many Latin American dishes.
Cannellini (White Kidney Bean): A large, creamy-white bean popular in Italian cooking. They have a mild flavor and soft texture, perfect for minestrone or pasta e fagioli.
Pinto Bean: The familiar beige bean speckled with brown that turns solid when cooked. They are the base for refried beans and chili. They are typically grown as a bush plant.
Horticultural Bean: Often called “October Bean” or “Shellout.” These are shelled fresh when the pods are bulging but not yet dry. The beans are plump, pink-speckled, and cook quickly with a unique flavor.

Specialty & Unique Bean Types

Beyond the main categories, some beans offer something a little different for the adventurous gardener.

Yardlong Bean (Asparagus Bean): A pole bean popular in Asian cuisine. The pods truly can grow over a foot long! They have a distinct flavor and are best stir-fried. They love heat.
Fava Bean (Broad Bean): A cool-season bean, unlike most which need warmth. They are grown in early spring or fall. You shell the large, flat beans from their thick, padded pods. Some people have a genetic allergy to them.
Edamame (Soybean): These are harvested green, just as the pods plump up. You boil or steam the fuzzy pods and pop the beans out to eat. They need a long, warm growing season.
Hyacinth Bean: Primarily grown as an ornamental for its purple stems, violet flowers, and shiny purple pods. The beans are toxic if eaten raw and must be prepared with extreme caution, so it’s best enjoyed for its looks.

How to Choose the Right Bean for Your Garden

Consider these three factors before you buy seeds.

Space: Bush beans need more horizontal space but no support. Pole beans need vertical space but a smaller footprint.
Harvest Style: Do you want a big batch all at once (bush) or a little every day for weeks (pole)?
Use: Are you wanting fresh green beans (snap beans), beans to shell fresh like limas, or dry beans for storage?

Simple Tips for Growing Beans Successfully

Beans are generally easy, but a few key practices ensure a great harvest.

Plant in Warm Soil: Wait until after your last frost when the soil is warm. Seeds rot in cold, wet dirt.
Don’t Over-Fertilize: Too much nitrogen makes lush leaves but few beans. They fix their own nitrogen from the air.
Water at the Soil: Keep water off the leaves to prevent disease. Consistent watering is key when plants are flowering and forming pods.
Pick Frequently: Especially for pole and bush snap beans. The more you pick, the more the plant produces. Letting pods mature signals the plant to stop.
Rotate Crops: Don’t plant beans in the same spot more than once every three years to prevent soil-borne diseases from building up.

Common Bean Problems and Quick Fixes

Here’s how to handle typical issues.

Holes in Leaves: Often Mexican bean beetles. Hand-pick them and their yellow egg clusters off the undersides of leaves.
Pods Not Setting: Extreme heat or heavy rain can cause flowers to drop. Ensure good pollination by having flowers around to attract bees.
Mold or Mildew: Improve air circulation, avoid wetting leaves, and choose resistant varieties if this is a common problem in your area.

FAQs About Bean Varieties

What is the easiest bean plant to grow?
Bush snap beans, like ‘Provider’ or ‘Blue Lake Bush’, are often the easiest. They have no support needs, mature quickly, and are generally trouble-free.

What type of bean plant produces the longest?
Pole beans have the longest harvest period, often producing for 6-8 weeks if picked regularly. They keep making new flowers as long as you keep picking the pods.

Can you grow different bean plants together?
Yes, you can grow different varieties together. However, if you plan to save seeds for next year, they can cross-pollinate. For eating, this is not a problem at all.

What bean plants are best for containers?
Bush beans are perfect for pots. Choose a container at least 12 inches deep. Some compact pole beans can also work with a small trellis.

How do I save seeds from my bean plants?
Let perfect pods dry completely and become brittle on the plant. Then shell the beans, let them air-dry inside for a week, and store in a cool, dark, dry place in a paper bag. They’ll last for several years.

With so many types of bean plants available, you can enjoy a huge range of flavors, colors, and growth habits. Start with one or two that match your garden space and your plate. A successful bean harvest is just a few seeds away.