Seneca Bird Egg

Half Runner/Dry. 4 inch pods with up to 7 seeds per pods a little smaller than a navy bean. Productive even with the small sized seed. Plants create good volume of seed. Native American bean sent to me by a Seneca man from Pennsylvania. Grows similarly to Buxton's Buckshot except with taller plants, and identical but longer pods. Seed is colored and marked the same. In the mid 1800’s to the mid 1900’s there were many seed companies in NY state who offered varieties from the Seneca Indians. This is one of those beans.

Seneca Cornstalk

Pole, dry, and productive. Climbs six feet or more. Pods average 4 and half inches long, and wrinkle as they dry. Small beautiful seeds are red and white. Earliest European records found this bean to be popular among the Carolina colonist in the early 1600s to early 1700s. Native variety that prior to contact with white settlers, Seneca Cornstalk was and still is enjoyed by the Haudenosaunee and south eastern Iroquois people.

Shantyboat

Pole Lima. 105 days to first dry pods. Productive plants produce average sized pods which average 3 seeds. Seeds are off white nearly solidly marked with red on one end. Joyce Pinson administrator of the Applachian Seed Swap in Pikeville, Kentucky tells me the bean has quite a history of being grown in the Ohio river valley.

Small Red

Pole/Dry. Very productive vines that climb to 5 feet. Produces 4.5 inch pods easy to hand shell. Seeds are medium size oval. Holds shape when cooked. Good in soups and chili.

Speckled 1770

Bush/Dry. First dry pods in 106 days. This seed is one of four seedcoat color variations I have separated from my acquired seed sample. This pattern closely mimics Palomino. Grown for the first time in 2012 all the plants that survived that summer's exceptional drought grew upright in form without runners and produced this seedcoat color and pattern.

Speckled 1770

Bush dry bean. A third seedcoat variation separated from my acquired seed sample of this bean. Looks like a throwback to Jacob's Cattle. Said to have been a cross of Big Soldier and Jaccob's Cattle.

Spring Valley Purple

Bush/Dry 95 days to first dry seed. Pods dry sequentially over several weeks. Upright plants grow without runners to about 22 inches tall. The late Robert Lobitz original named bean. Beans are slightly shorter but heavier than another Lobitz bean with a similar coloring and pattern named Purple Stardust. This variety is more productive. Beans of this one are a slightly darker shade. Robert released this bean through the Seed Savers Exchange winter yearbook in 2004.

Stars And Stripes

Bush Dry grows without runners. 80 Days to dry pods 5.5 to 6 inches that contain 5 to 6 seeds. Plants grow to about 18 to 20 inches. The bean originated with and named by a Diane Mackentley sometime in the 1990's. She may have been an acquaintance of the late Robert Lobitz. The bean is a selection from Jacob's Cattle. Although resemblance to that variety can be seen. The beans really never completely take on the Jacob's Cattle pattern. The light wispy curving lines across the seeds aptly lend to it's name.

Stevenson

Pole/Lima. An original variety introduced by the late SSE member Ralph Stevenson of Tekonsha, Michigan. Seed was acquired from SSE member Christopher Inhulsen of the state of Georgia.

Stevenson's Black Eye

Semi-Runner/Dry. Another of the original varieties developed by late SSE member Ralph Stevenson of Tekonsha, Michigan. Seed of this bean was acquired from former SSE member John Staples living in the state of New York.

Stevenson's Blue Eye

Semi-Runner/Dry. 114 days to first dry seeds. Discovered, and named by one of the earlier SSE members. The late Ralph Stevenson of Tekonsha, Michigan. Originally an outcross he found in one of his bean gardens in the early 80's. Develops yellow pods as the variety matures. Sold commercially by Annapolis Seeds in Canada.

Succotash

Pole dry bean. The bean that looks like black kernels of corn. No doubt one the more unusual beans I have known and grown. The variety comes from North America originally Native American nations of the north, Narragansett mostly. The bean was used in a dish of the same name frequently combined with other things mainly corn.

Sweetwater

Bush/Dry. 85 days to first dry pods. The remainder of the dry beans are harvested in about 3 to 4 weeks. An original bean named by me. Named after an area of contemporary homes in Woodstock, Illinois. Productive plants about 20 inches tall produce green 7 inch pods that become a bit streaked with red as the beans inside mature. Interesting seed coat patern that is a mix partly like Jacob's Cattle and purple streaking like a cranberry type bean.

Tamila

Pole/Dry. Moderate climber, but very productive. Oval 5 inch (12cm) pods contain between 5 to 7 seeds. The variety is grown in western Ukraine. My seed comes from a New York state "Seed Savers Exchange" member.

Tarahumara Capirame

Bush/Dry. Blossom Light Pink. 90 days to first dry seed. Patterned much like other horticultural varieties. From Tarahumara people of the Sierra Madre of northern Mexico. I believe this is probably the same bean as Capirame just a more lengthened form of the name.

Taylor

Bush/Dry. 80 days to first dry beans. Horticultural bean. Typical seedcoat colors of tan, buff, white or off white with red speckles and streaks. I believe this to be the same bean as Taylor's Dwarf Horticultural. I believe this is simply the shortened version of the name.

Tendergreen

Bush/Snap. True Bush plants, blossom pink, 45-55 days to snaps, and 90 days to first dry pods. Early, Productive, tender, stringless green round pods that wrinkle and tighten around their seed as they dry. Plants are rigid, upright, and compact around 15 inches tall. First introduced by the Peter Henderson Company in 1922. An All American Selections winner in 1933. Another one of my bush snap bean favorites.

Tenderpod

Bush/Snap. Blossom white, 50 days to snaps, and 90 days to first dry pods. Upright plants are runnerless and widely adapted. 4.5 to 5.5 inch long round green pods are early, and stringless. Pods wrinkle and tighten around their seeds as they dry. Released in 1941. An All American Selections Winner of the same year. A very delightful snap variety to grow. I wonder how many people had grown this one in World War 2 victory gardens.

Tene's Bean

Bush/Dry. 90 Days to first dry seed. Grown by the Larry Locke's family of Grand Manan, Nebraska for three generations. Larry Locke’s grandfather Ashton was given some by a Miss Albertine Bancroft around 1920. They have been grown by the family ever since.

Tennessee Wonder

Pole/Snap 80 days. Blossom pink. 8 to 8 1/2 inch delicous stringless green round pods. Landreth Seed Company introduced the variety sometime before 1901, but very likely goes back much further. Hand shelling the dry pods for seed doesn't produce much chaff as the inner white membrane stays very much intact.

Theresa Marchese

Pole/Snap 70 days. Dry pods begin about 90 days Very productive. Pods are green rounded with purple streaks and speckles. Excellent stringless snap bean. Dry beans are said to have somewheat of a chestnut flavor. Dry pods easy to hand shell. Brought to this country to the state of Michigan in the early 1900's from Sicily. Grown by the same Michigan family ever since.

Tiger's Eye

Semi Runner/Dry. 65 days to shell beans. 85 days to first dry seed. A.K.A. Pepa De Zapallo. Plants produce wide flattened pods. The variety has it's origins in Chile, and Argentina.

Tigre

Semi Runner/Dry. From Austria. 71 days to first dry pod. Then pods dry sequentially over the next 30 days. Plants are very productive. Beans are small but more than make up in total volume of seed procduced.

Tobacco Patch

Bush/Dry. 90 days to first dry seed. Earlier than "Soldier". Strong upright plants grow without runners holding it's pods well off the ground. In our 2012 heat and drought this variety went through the "Summer From Hell" like nothing unusual was happening. A truly impressive performance.

Topcrop

Bush/Snap. 53 days to snaps. Blossom light pink. Widely adapted. Vigorous plants have high yields of a concentrated pod set of round medium green 5 to 6 inch pods. Resistant to BCMV and Bean Pod Mottle Virus, and NY 15. Bred by the USDA in Beltsville, Maryland. Introduced in 1947. All American Selections Award winner in 1950. Parentage is United States 5 Refugee and Full Measure. Another of my all time favorite snap varieties.

Topnotch Golden Wax

Bush/Snap. Yellow podded. Blossom White. 50-55 days to first snaps. Productive plants are 15 to 18 inches tall yielding light yellow round pods. Listed in seed catalogs as early as the late 1940's.

Tramonto di Trebua

Pole/Snap. Italian variety. Produces lots of uniform green pods. Plants will stay in production until killed by frost in the autumn if kept picked. Brought back from a European seed finding excursion by Joseph Simcox "The Botanical Explorer". Angelini Brother's found it in their Grandfather's chest after he died, they planted them to honor their "Babbo" (grandfather) and they ended up becoming bean lovers too! So the family tradition lives on.

Trebulino Di Domenico

Pole, productive Italian variety. I have heard back from growers who I have sent this to and they tell me the bean is a real keeper.

True Red Cranberry

Pole Dry. This is the rare heirloom bean that was rediscovered by celebrated bean collector, John Withee of his "Wanigan Associates" bean network fame. He searched for 11 years for this bean after reading about a "Red Cranberry" bean in a 1700's gardening encyclopedia. He finally discovered it growing on a Mr. Taylor's farm in Steep Falls, Maine.

Turkey

Pole Dry. Vigorous vines and prolific producer. Good for any recipe you would use for dry beans. Country of origin Turkey.

Turkey Craw

Pole/Snap. 108 days to first dry seed. Blossom white. 5 to 7 inch flat green pods that wrinkle and tighten around seed as they dry. Vigorous plants climb to 8 feet.

Tuvagliedda

Pole/Dry. Productive variety from Italy. Variety originates from Basilicata province in southern Italy.

Uncle Willies

Bush/Dry. Blossom white. 90+ days to first dry seed. Large production of 6 inch pods on 18 inch plants containing these typically appearing horticultural looking seeds. From Annapolis Seed Company Nova Scotia, Canada.

Unrivalled Wax

Bush/Yellow/Snap. Stocky productive plants 12 to 14 inches (30-36cm) tall Produces 5 inch (12cm) tender, stringless snap pods early and of good quality. First appeared in the Vilmorin seed catalog in France in 1909. Brought to the U.S. in 1913 by D.M. Ferry And Company. By 1931 the variety was listed in nearly one-fourth of the seed catalogs of the day. Has the reputation of doing well in drought conditions.

Uzice Speckled Wax

Pole/Snap Wax. Wax variety from Uzice region of Serbia. 75 days to snaps and 120 days to dry seed.

Veitch Wonder

Bush dry. A beautiful old European bean sourced from a grower in Belgium. Hybrid of common bean(Phaseolus Vulgaris x a runner bean Phaseolus Coccineus) from the James Veitch Nurseries of Chelsea-UK-Anno 1900-1910. Found in 2015 by the Belgian Seedhunter Lieven Decrick in a Colombian Genebank.

Vaquero

Semi Runner/Dry. My entire seed crop was ready for harvest in 84 days from direct seeding into the ground. One of the many beans of the southwest. Similar seed coat pattern as Zuni Shalako and Anasazi and likely related to those beans. Possibly named for the Vaquero indians. Said to create a dark inky pot liquor when cooked. 20 seeds should grow about 1.25 pounds in a good season.

Vermont Appaloosa

Bush/Dry. 85 days to dry seed. Can be picked as snap beans when young. Short Compact plants produce 4 to 5 inch pods containing 4 to 5 seeds. Native to Central and South America. The variety has been cultivated in the southwest.

Vermont Mohawk

Pole/Dry. Very productive. 100 days to dry seed. Large beans. Native American variety grown in the Iroquois Confederation.

Vermont Yellow Eye

Semi Runner/Dry. 90 to 110 days to dry seed. Blossom white, pods solid green. From Deaflora seeds in Germany Via a bean freind Harriet Mella of Liebenfels, Austria. Good for soup and baked beans. The variety traces back to the Vermont Bean Seed Company. Don't know if this bean is a product of their breeding or named by them.

Victoria Brown Eyes

Bush/Snap. Blossom white, 65 days to first snaps and 90 days to first dry pods. Vigorous 20 inch tall plants produce plump tasty pods. Another Robert Lobitz introduced and named variety.

Viola

Semi Runner/Dry. 85 days to first dry pods. The remainder of the pods dry sequentially within about 3 weeks time. Small navy bean sized seeds are produced by a load of 4 to 5 inch long pods that are purple. Beans color vary from dusty purple to creamy white with a hint of purple blush on either side of the seed. This productive bean is one of the many original named beans from the late Robert Lobitz that were released through the Seed Savers Exchange yearbook in 2004.

Volga German Siberian

Pole/Dry. 108 days to first dry pods. 4.5 to 5 inch pods can contain up to 7 seeds. Beautiful large horticultural patterned seeds. Good dry or for fresh shelling. Said to be cold tolerant, originates from German Mennonites who were brought to the Volga River region of Russia by Katharina the Great. Obtained this variety from Soren Holt in Kastrup, Denmark.

Wadena

Semi-Runner/Dry. 85 days to first dry beans. Small dark pink seeds with red around the eye, 3 3/4 inch pods, very productive. Introduced and named by SSE member the Late Robert Lobitz of Paynesville, Minnesota. Robert likely named the bean for the town of Wadena, Minnesota. In the Ojibwe language Wadena means "little round hill".

Wanamingo

Bush/Snap. Blossom white, 85 days to first dry seed. Large productive plants bearing 5 to 6 inch pods. Seeds look like a large version of "Magpie" Magpie and Jumbo cross. Introduced and named by the late Robert Lobitz.

Weaver

Pole/Snap. 66 days to snaps. Blossom White. Prolific producer of 7 to 8 inch long flattened stringless green pods. This bean has been one of my favorite snap beans since the early 1980's. Developed by the now defunct C.H Weaver Seed Company of Brawley, California probably in the 1930's. Also makes a great dry bean.

Weiner Treib

Bush/Dry. From the bean collection of Astrid Storm of Jevenstedt, Germany. Her collection can be seen at Bohnen-atlas.de.

Willmar Pinto

Bush/Dry. Blossom pink. Productive compact plants grow to about 16 inches. One of the many original varieties from the late Robert Lobitz of Paynesville, Minnesota, located in Stearns county. Robert released this bean through the Seed Savers Exchange (Decorah, Iowa) yearbook in 1999.

Witzenhausen

Pole/Dry. 84 days to first dry pods. Then pods dry sequentially. Very productive with large pod set and large volume of beans produced. Another of the lovely beans acquired from Deaflora in Germany via Harriet Mella of Austria.

Witzenhausen Red

Pole/Dry. 90 to 95 days to first dry pods. Very productive plants produce nice quality beans. There is nothing not to like about this variety. Acquired it from a grower in Willich, Germany in 2019.

Yellow Orange

Pole/Dry. I had not grown this bean for 38 years. Growing it again I relived memories of some of my first bean gardens shortly after becoming a member of the Seed Savers Exchange. I found these to have fairly short pods about 4 inches long, and seeds crowded close in the pods as evident by the flattened seed ends. An old variety that seems to be no known history.

Zebra

Pole/Dry. About 100 days to the start of dry pods. Plants produce copious amounts of 4 inch pods that are easy to hand shell. Seeds are slightly smaller than a Navy bean. What it lacks in size. This bean more than makes up for in total productivity and volume of beans. Sent to me in 2013 by an Australian citizen who lives in South Africa. 2020 was the first time I personally grew this bean and I was delightfully surprised.

Zebra Aus Teneriffa

Pole/Dry. About 100 days to the start of dry pods. Highly productive plants produce large amounts of 5 inch pods that are easy to hand shell. The bean was obtained from a grower in Willich, Germany. It's name translates to English as Zebra from Tenerife.

Zona Upchurch

Pole/Dry. Said to make a good snap bean. Fat thick pods. Appalachian variety and named after the woman who grew this bean for many years of her life.

Zumbro Falls

Bush/Snap. Blossom white. Very nice stringless green podded snap bean in 48 days as grown here in northern Illinois. Steam cook tested this bean on July 26, 2020. Another cultivar in the large bean legacy of the Late Robert Lobitz of Paynesville, Minnesota. Robert named the bean after the little town of Zumbro Falls a little over 200 population in Wabasha county in southeastern Minnesota.

Zuni Shalako

Semi-Runner/Dry. 107 days for dry seed. Viney spreading plants Seedcoat is patterned similar to New Mexico Red Appaloosa, Gila, and a few others. Used in late fall visitation of the Shalako Kachina for directional blessings of new dwellings in Zuni Pueblo.