Phaseolus vulgaris

Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) — the species behind French, runner, dwarf and climbing beans, domesticated in the Americas. The botanical home of our green bean range.

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  • Pole Beans Three Color Mix seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable Pole Beans Three Color Mix (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    €3,96€4,95

    Three-color climbing beans for vertical garden space pole beans seeds three color mix offer a striking way to grow climbing beans with pods in purple, green, and yellow tones. This annual vegetable bean selection is...

  • €5,95

    Classic Italian dwarf bean with striking pods dwarf french bean seeds ‘Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco’ are a popular annual bush bean grown for their distinctive, red-streaked pods and attractive, speckled beans. This dwarf borlotti bean...

  • Pole Bean Three Color Mix seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable Pole Bean Three Color Mix (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    €3,96€4,95

    Three-colour pole beans for vertical garden spaces pole bean seeds three color mix are an annual vegetable choice for gardeners who enjoy colourful harvests and vigorous climbing growth. This climbing bean seeds mix combines three...

  • Pole Bean Terli 100g seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable Pole Bean Terli 100g (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    €5,96€7,45

    Terli pole beans for vertical garden growing pole bean seeds Terli are an annual vegetable choice for gardeners who want a productive climbing habit and neat, straight pods. This variety is a classic garden bean...

  • €4,95

    Brown Dutch bush beans for kitchen gardens bush bean seeds of the Brown Dutch type are a classic choice within vegetable legume seeds for home gardens. This is a dwarf bean selection grown as an...

  • €5,95

    Compact annual bean for colourful kitchen harvests dwarf french bean seeds ‘Merveille de Piemonte’ are a compact, bush-type choice for the annual vegetable garden, valued for their decorative pods and reliable performance in small spaces....

  • Dwarf Bean Admires seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable Dwarf Bean Admires (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    €3,96€4,95

    Compact annual bush beans with long pods dwarf bean seeds ‘Admires’ are an annual bush bean type selected for neat, compact growth and dependable performance in the vegetable garden. This no support bean variety forms...

  • €5,95

    Early dwarf bean with yellow, stringless pods dwarf french bean berggold seeds are a compact vegetable choice for gardeners who want a neat, bushy plant with attractive yellow pods. This early maturing dwarf bean variety...

  • Dwarf Beans Miracle seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable Dwarf Beans Miracle (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    €3,96€4,95

    Miracle variety for compact kitchen gardens dwarf beans seeds Miracle are an annual vegetable choice for gardeners who want a tidy, space-saving crop with attractive, dark green pods. This bush-type bean is valued for producing...

  • Pole Bean Blauhilde seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable Pole Bean Blauhilde (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    €3,96€4,95

    Pole bean variety with striking purple pods pole bean seeds ‘Blauhilde’ are an annual climbing vegetable choice valued for long, fleshy pods with a distinctive blue‑purple color. This purple pod bean variety produces pods that...

  • €4,95

    Canadian Wonder dwarf bean for kitchen gardens canadian wonder dwarf french bean seeds are an annual vegetable choice for gardeners who want a reliable bush type bean for home harvests. This dwarf French bean variety...

  • Bush Beans Ferrari 20g seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable Bush Beans Ferrari 20g (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    €3,96€4,95

    Ferrari bush beans for compact garden harvests bush beans ferrari seeds are an annual vegetable choice valued for neat, compact plants and reliable performance in many kitchen gardens. This is a stringless green bean variety...

  • Climbing Bean Raadsheer seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual climber Climbing Bean Raadsheer (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual climber seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    €3,96€4,95

    Climbing variety with long, flat, stringless pods climbing bean seeds ‘Raadsheer’ are an annual vegetable bean variety valued for producing long, flat pods with a smooth, stringless texture. This is a vigorous climber that develops...

  • €5,95

    Dawson bush beans for compact garden beds bush bean seeds dawson are a reliable choice for an annual vegetable garden where you want neat, low-growing plants and consistent pod set. This early bush bean variety...

  • €6,95

    Miracle dwarf bean seeds for compact gardens dwarf bean seeds from the Miracle dwarf bean variety are an annual vegetable choice for gardeners who want a neat, space-saving bean plant with reliable performance. This bush-type...

  • €6,95

    Orinoco dwarf bean with golden yellow pods dwarf french bean seeds ‘Orinoco’ are an annual vegetable bean variety grown for neat bush plants and attractive, slender pods. This is a wax type with dark golden-yellow...

  • €4,95

    Miracle variety for compact kitchen gardens dwarf french bean seeds ‘Miracle’ are an annual vegetable option for gardeners who want reliable bush-type plants with a tidy, space-saving habit. This variety forms compact bean plants around...

  • €4,95

    Classic dwarf bean variety for sunny beds dwarf beans record seeds are an annual vegetable choice valued for compact, bushy growth and reliable production in the kitchen garden. This green pod bean variety is known...

  • €5,95

    Organic bush bean with dark yellow pods bush bean dior seeds are an organic, annual vegetable choice for gardeners who want a compact plant with attractive, dark yellow wax pods. This is a dwarf French...

  • Bush Beans Dawson seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable Bush Beans Dawson (Phaseolus vulgaris) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    €3,96€4,95

    Compact annual beans with slender dark pods bush beans seeds ‘Dawson’ are an annual vegetable bean variety valued for neat, compact plants and uniform, slender pods. The pods are dark green and typically reach around...

Phaseolus vulgaris — the common bean

Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, is the species behind most of the beans we grow to eat fresh or dried — French, dwarf, bush and climbing types alike. A tender annual legume, it is the botanical backbone of our green bean and French bean ranges within the wider peas and beans collection.

History & origin

The common bean was domesticated in the Americas thousands of years ago — remarkably, in two separate places, with one centre in Mesoamerica and another in the Andes of South America. Beans were one of the “Three Sisters” of Indigenous agriculture, grown together with maize and squash so the beans could climb the corn and enrich the soil. After Columbus, Phaseolus vulgaris spread rapidly across Europe, Africa and Asia, in many kitchens replacing the older broad bean.

Its botanical name nods to the pod's shape: Phaseolus derives from a Greek and Latin word for a little boat or skiff, while vulgaris means “common.”

Botanical characteristics

As a legume, the common bean fixes its own nitrogen through root nodules, enriching the soil as it grows. It comes in two main habits: low, self-supporting bush types that crop in a quick flush — our bush and dwarf beans — and tall climbers that crop for weeks up canes, our climbing and pole beans. Pods range from slender green and yellow to purple and flecked borlotti, and the same plant can give both tender pods to eat whole and dried beans to store.

Growing Phaseolus vulgaris from seed

Beans are tender and hate cold, wet soil, so sow after the last frost into warm, well-prepared ground, or start them in pots to plant out. Climbing types need their supports in place before sowing; bush types need none. Pick regularly once the pods come, as the more you harvest the more the plant produces. Our vegetable sowing calendar shows the timing and our plant supports guide covers the frames climbers need.

Ready to grow beans? Browse the varieties or learn the basics first.

Related categories: Green Beans · French Beans · Bush Beans · Climbing Beans · Peas & Beans

At SeedsChoice, every order ships from Meppel, NL with fast, tracked EU delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Phaseolus vulgaris?
It is the common bean, a tender annual legume that includes French, dwarf, bush and climbing beans.

Where do common beans originate?
From the Americas — domesticated separately in Mesoamerica and the Andes — and spread worldwide after Columbus.

What does the name mean?
Phaseolus comes from a word for a little boat, after the pod's shape, and vulgaris means “common.”

Do beans need support?
Climbing types need canes; bush and dwarf types support themselves.

Do beans improve the soil?
Yes — as legumes they fix their own nitrogen through their roots.