Family: Legume (Fabaceae)

In Zones 7 to 12, a tuberous-rooted perennial vine.  Grown as an annual in zones 6 and under–90+ days to maturity.

Originating in Japan, these will climb to make a large bush to 12 feet tall (with trellis), very green from spring to frost, dotted with intense red flowers, remaining bushy and vital long past the time that standard pole beans have started to look scraggly. Edible and delicious.  Remove seeds from pod.  Swollen seeds will cook up fast.  They make a good gravy and a delightful bean.  If allowed to dry out, the seeds must be soaked overnight and then cooked the next day.  This is a late-maturing bean and some of the best edible harvests are made the night before frost.  Pick any remaining green pods and remove seeds from them.  Immature seeds are pink and delicious when cooked.  Mature Shinshu runner beans make a cosmic-patterned purple and pink seed, which is to my knowledge the largest among all Phaseolus.  Cultivation: Very, very fun and a good activity for kids. Germination like a small earthquake. Direct seed in a richly composted hill in the early spring. For seed production get an early start, sowing just before the last frost of spring. Provide trellis or grow on the corn. Will run on the ground if not trellised, but for ease of picking, and a good, dry pod in the end, trellis.

3 seeds/pkt., Certified Organically Grown