Phaseolus vulgaris (dwarf)

Common Dwarf Bean

#885 Bean Feast

Originally a commercial variety in 1977 Neville has been growing this variety for 33 years. It is a white flowered dwarf bean yielding wide flat-podded beans. White, almost round, seeds originally advertised as having a ''flavour that rivals the famous scarlett runner''. Neville considers it the tastiest dwarf been he has ever grown. Needs two months of frost free weather. Is not drought resistant. Pods with tips touching the soil can contract mold during damp weather. Best used as fresh green beans.

#10 Biodynamic

Beautiful, white beans. Low vigour.

#262 Black Dwarf (Dry Bean)

#11 Black Turtle

Gifted prior 1995 by M. Whyte.

#850 Borlotto Fire Tongue

NO SEED.

#848 Brown Beauty

#382 Canadian Wonder

Red kidney dried bean, also a good green bean. An old variety no longer available. “Excellent for fresh/frozen green beans (pick them young) or for dried beans. Plants very sturdy and grow about 2 ft tall.” Seed saved more than 25 years in Christchurch by Sue Saunders, Sue was given this seed by her Uncle in Raglan in 1976. Howard Farr remembers these beans growing in his garden when he was a child – he is now 82!

#667 Cockfighter

Grown for 7 years in Canterbury, imported from Canada by local Mexican community - a prolific, cold climate bean. Pink beans, very prolific: 7 plants grew 1kg of beans. Small bush plant - most of the growth goes into the beans. It likes an open sunny site. Shell-out type used for Mexican bean dishes. Ideal as a self-sufficiency bean as prolific, small plants.

#863 Colombian Black

#9 Dutch Brown

Ex Boyce, originally gifted by John Daly. “Small plants up to 30cm tall. Yield from approx. 45 plants = 300g (up to 4 beans per pod). Dried for soups.” (Karlene Herdman)

#293 Dwarf English

From Bill Logan. Grown from some 1948 seeds discovered in a biscuit tin! Grown by Bill’s father & brought to NZ about 1938. Grows to about 4ft high & needs staking.

#920 Finde Bagnol

Old gourmet variety of French string bean with delicious round slender pods. Best for eating when picked every 2 or 3 days while still very young and before strings develop. Does well in cool soil. Attractive as tiny gourmet green bean. 50-60 days.

#632 Fred's Dwarf

NO SEED AVAILABLE. NZ Heirloom, ex Koanga. A good bean for eating that freezes well.

#259 Great Northern Tara

#750 Horticultural

NO SEED AVAILABLE. Ex Koanga. Pink splotched seeds. Streaky flattish pods. A shell-out bean.

#477 Kaiapoi Red Dwarf

Previously called “Kaiapoi Bush Bean”. North Canterbury seed grower Richard Watson remembers the (late) donor of this variety calling the variety “Kaiapoi Red Dwarf” and suggested we return to this excellent name. Local heirloom. Kidney bean appearance.

#629 Mother In Law

NO SEED. Ex Koanga. Tasty white beans, grew well. (Presumably edible green beans, plus small, roundish, white drying beans).

#229 Mother in Law

NO SEED.

#487 Philip Lane's Stringless

A local heirloom bred in early 1900’s by Christchurch home gardener Philip Lane, who experimented breeding better vegetable varieties. Seed gifted to us by Philip’s granddaughter Philippa Lane. (See newsletter no. 26).

#851 Pink Dwarf

#849 Purple Tee Pee

NO SEED.

#258 Quarry Pinto

#672 Red Kidney

NO SEED. Grown since about 2002 by Nicole Bűhrs from seed bought at Pikos.

#266 Red Mexican

#261 Rosa Pink

Ex BHRU. A guardian harvested 1.575kg from a two-foot row. “Dwarf, but plants twined to 50cm, so needed some support. Yield from approximately 45 plants – 600g of dried beans (up to 7 beans per pod)” (Karlene Herdman).

#7 Rydal A

Yellow wax French bean.

#854 Sanilac Haricot

Grown for dry beans. Needs a long season of growth, therefore sow seed early to ensure maturity occurs early when drying conditions are best. Always soak the dry bean for about 8 hours before cooking. This bean is the bean often used for Baked Beans in tomato sauce. Bob Crowder has been growing and saving these beans since his involvement at the BHU in the 1980's.

#880 Sinton

NO SEED. Dwarf drying bean, ex Koanga.

#693 Splenderette

NO SEED. Ex Kings. Very prolific, easy to grow.

#847 Tenderness

NO SEED.

#8 The Prince

Red kidney beans. Gifted by John Daly, ex TA Tucker, saved 15-20 years prior 1995.

#111 Yogoslav II

ex HDRA.