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Are these really French Beans?

CollareddoveCollareddove Posts: 162
in Fruit & veg
Here's a (bad) photo of beans I bought from a nursery, labelled French Climbing Beans.  I expected them to be round podded as normal but as you can see these are flat podded with scalloped sides where the bean seed is. Also they grow quite long even though I pick most days.  The photo colour is not good, the beans are actually a nice light green colour
Have they been mi-labelled by the nursery or are they a particular variety?

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,030
    edited August 2022
    They look like Climbing French Bean  var. 'Hunter'.  Lovely beans. 

    https://www.kingsseeds.com/Products/Vegetable-Seeds/Beans/Climbing-French-Bean-Hunter-AGM-PPP-APhaseolus-vulgaris-BGB40557-Clot-pk-DGB

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • CollareddoveCollareddove Posts: 162
    Thank you @Dovefromabove, the link exactly describes them.  Prolific certainly applies to them!  We had, concidentally, supported them just like runner beans.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,030
    Enjoy!  They're a lovely bean ... real French bean flavour, and they freeze well ... which is just as well because as you say, they are very prolific  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 22,588
    I live in France and I can't find ordinary runner beans for sale in the supermarkets here, but they sell that sort of bean instead and they are just as good, never stringy. They call them "Haricot Coco" Coco beans. I think they grow better in hot countries.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • CollareddoveCollareddove Posts: 162
    I have allowed some french beans to dry on the vine, which I have now harvested.  I am planning on eating them as haricot beans through the winter. They look just like dried white haricot beans so I hope this will work.
    Also wondering if I can keep some to sow next year?  I had three different varieties last year so am wondering if they will have cross-pollinated so not come true to any variety, if indeed they come at all?

  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,381
    If you have the space, it would be worth  trying some next year - at least it will confirm one way or the other.  I've been saving and sowing my French bean "Champion" for a number of years so none are original as such.  They come true every year.
  • CollareddoveCollareddove Posts: 162
    Presumably @philippasmith2, you sow only 'champion', so no likelyhood of cross pollination?

  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,381
    No, I have also grown various other varieties ( I'm sorry I can't recall the names off hand - Orca I think is one) in the same bed but all are classed as French beans.  All have come true to type so far.
    I have also done "Cobra" this year ( a climber ) - maybe a few yards away but I haven't saved any of those seeds,
    Another one I grow each year is a Purple Climbing bean - long, thin, flat fruit.  These were from seeds someone had saved and gave me 3 years ago.  Planted close by and again no crossing.
    Don't know whether any of this helps but I'd still think it worth a go next year :)  
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391
    The vast majority of beans are self-pollinating, but the flowers need to be 'triggered' by an insect, so most will 'come true'. :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,761
    Those look like the Helda beans I buy from Waitrose.
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