An upright, bushy half-hardy annual grown for its edible seeds. This broad bean has glaucous green leaves and clusters of black and white flowers, followed by long green pods to 30cm, with up to 8 green-skinned white beans in each pod. Best picked early for mid-sized, sweet flavoured beans; ready to harvest from late May depending on climate and sowing time
0.5-1 metres
0.1-0.5 metres
| Season | Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | ||||
| Summer | ||||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
Does best in a sunny, sheltered position with fertile, moist but well-drained soil, though most soils will produce an adequate crop. Sow in February in pots in a cold greenhouse or in March/Apr outdoors. Plants may need support. See broad-bean cultivation for further advice
Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds
Picking off the tender tips of the shoots can delay and reduce infestation by black bean aphid, and also improve the yield
May be susceptible to pea and bean weevil and black bean aphid. Stored seed may be susceptible to broad bean seed beetle
May be susceptible to broad bean rust and broad bean chocolate spot