Choose beans by habit and harvest. Bush or pole is the first fork. Snap, dry, lima, and scarlet runner are the next.
Choose bush or pole, and snap, dry, lima, or runner
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| No trellis, short flush | Bush snap beans | Do not expect a whole-summer vine from one bush sowing |
| Long harvest in less ground | Pole snap beans on a tall support | Do not plant pole seed with no trellis ready |
| Soup and storage seed | Dry or shell vulgaris types | Do not pick them as baby snap pods by habit |
| Buttery shelled seed | Lima (lunatus) in warm soil | Do not sow lima on a snap-bean cold date |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of phaseolus that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Read the tag for bush or pole and for snap versus dry. Lima and scarlet runner are different species inside Phaseolus, not just color names. [1] [2] Sun and weekly water stay on How to Grow Beans. When the pods are ready, pick them on Harvesting Beans.
What is the difference between bush and pole beans?
Bush plants stay about one to two feet and need no support. Pole beans climb six feet or more and need a sturdy trellis.
Browse by kind
Snap (green) beans
green beans are the usual snap crop: eat the young pod before seeds swell. Buy bush for a short flush, or pole for a longer climb.
Dry and shell beans
black beans, pinto, kidney beans, navy beans, cannellini, and borlotti are Phaseolus vulgaris grown for mature seed. Same warm-season care as snap; different harvest stage.
Lima beans
lima beans are Phaseolus lunatus. They need warmer soil than snap beans. Shell the seed green or dry it fully. Cook before you eat.
Scarlet runner beans
scarlet runner is Phaseolus coccineus: a tall vine with bright flowers. Pick short young pods like snap beans, or shell later.
Pick the group, then the packet. Shop names such as Blue Lake or Provider are cultivars inside snap beans, not new species. [3]
Lima and scarlet runner are not snap beans — and fava is not this crop
Lima (P. lunatus) wants warmer soil than common snap beans. Scarlet runner (P. coccineus) is a tall flowering vine with its own pick window. [4] Fava is Vicia faba — cool-season, not this genus. Do not buy a fava packet expecting a summer green-bean crop.
Are lima beans the same as green beans?
No. Limas are Phaseolus lunatus. Green snap beans are usually Phaseolus vulgaris.
Is scarlet runner a pole green bean?
It climbs like a pole bean, but it is a different species with showy flowers. Pick pods young if you want a snap texture.
If the tag only says beans, decide bush or pole and snap or dry before you sow.
FAQ
What about half-runner beans?
Half-runners sit between bush and pole — short runners, often grown like bush, with an optional low trellis for yield.
Do you hold every Blue Lake packet?
No. Use the groups above. Named packets you do not see here are still snap, dry, lima, or runner by habit and species.
Related guides
References
- [1] University of Minnesota Extension -
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-beans - [2] University of Maryland Extension -
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-beans-home-garden - [3] Iowa State University Extension -
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/growing-green-beans - [4] Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC -
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/bush-pole-type-snap-beans/
This note is part of Phaseolus Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors