Phaseolus coccineus 'Red Rum'
bean (runner) 'Red Rum'
A runner bean with red flowers followed by tasty, straight, smooth, fleshy pods, on average about 22cm long and 1.5cm wide when picked, and stringless when young, and if seeds are allowed to develop they are pink mottled with black; its flowers will set even at fairly high temperatures, it crops early, and gives a high yield. Runner beans, Phaseolus coccineus, are nitrogen-fixing herbaceous perennials, usually grown as annuals, which climb by twining stems up to 4m high, with leaves divided into three ovate to heart-shaped green leaflets up to 15cm long, and racemes of many white, pink, red, or two-tone flowers, up to 3cm long, from midsummer, which are pollinated by bees and followed by edible seedpods from late summer until the first frosts.
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Size
Ultimate height
2.5–4 metresTime to ultimate height
1 yearUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Red | Green | Green | |
| Autumn | Red | Green | Green | |
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H2Botanical details
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Climbing
- Potentially harmful
- Raw pods/beans harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs): Raw pods/beans harmful if eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
- Genus
Phaseolus are annual or perennial legumes, usually climbing or trailing in form, and with trifoliate leaves. Grown as crop plants for their edible seeds, including runner, French and lima beans, as well as for animal feed, green manures and as ornamentals
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Sow seed 5cm deep, either directly outside in early summer, or under glass in early spring then plant out in early summer, after all danger of frost has passed, in full sun and in well-drained but humus-rich, moisture-retentive, preferably near-neutral soil, provide support such as hazel poles or bamboo canes, keep well-watered, and pick pods regularly, before the seeds swell, to ensure a continuous crop; for more advice, see runner-bean cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Wall side borders
- Climber and wall shrubs
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
May be susceptible to black bean aphids. Young plants also need protection from slugs and snails
Diseases
May be susceptible to runner bean and French bean rust, halo blight and occasionally bean anthracnose, foot and root rots, grey mould, Sclerotinia, virus diseases, and wilts but generally disease-free
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