Common bean
Phaseolus vulgaris

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

This bean has very many varieties and varies a lot in details. Both short and climbing cultivated varieties of this bean occur. It has a long taproot. Climbing forms can be 2-3 m tall. Bush types are 20-60 cm tall. The leaves are carried one after another along the stem and the leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaf stalk has a groove on the top. The side leaflets are asymmetrical in shape. The leaflets can be 8-15 cm by 5-10 cm. The flowers are in the axils of leaves and have few flowers in a loose form. Flowers are white to purple and pods smooth. Pods are slender and 8-20 cm long by 1-1.5 cm wide. The pods are straight or slightly curved and with a beak at the end. Pods often have 10-12 seeds which are kidney shaped and coloured. There are more than 500 cultivated varieties.

Where it is found

A temperate plant. It mostly grows from 700 m to 2000 m altitude in the tropics. In the lowlands it suffers from pest and disease but it can be grown to sea level. It is not suited to the wet tropics. It is shallow rooted and therefore damaged by excess moisture near the roots. About 350 mm of water is enough for a crop life cycle. It is sensitive to frost and to high temperatures. Flowers will not form below 9.5°C and night temperatures above 37°C cause flowers to drop. The best temperature is 15-21°C. It does not suit very acid soils. In Nepal it grows up to 1200 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 8-11.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Andes, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bougainville, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Central Asia, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo DR, Congo R, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Easter Island, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Europe, Fiji, France, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guam, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liberia, Macedonia, Malawi, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Marianas, Marquesas, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Romania, Rotuma, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Seychelles, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Turkey, Türkiye, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The young pods, leaves and mature seeds are edible. The pods are eaten raw in salads and also boiled, steamed, marinated and pickled. The young seeds are boiled and served as a vegetable. The dry seeds are soaked in water and boiled until soft. They are also baked and used in soups, dips, casseroles and salads. The flowers are sauteed and added to dishes. Sprouted seeds are also eaten. The leaves are used for sarma in Turkey. They are rolled around a filling of rice or minced meat.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. Of considerable importance at high altitude locations in the tropics.

Edible parts

Pods, seeds, leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Seed should preferably be planted on raised beds. Climbing types need stakes. Plants are self fertilised. Seeds remain viable for 2 years. Germination is normally good if seed have been well stored. In many places these beans are inter-cropped with other plants. If they are grown on their own, bush types can be spaced at 25 cm by 25 cm. Or they can be put closer together in rows wider apart to make weeding and harvesting easier. For dried beans, once the pods are mature and turning yellow, the whole plants are pulled, then dried and threshed. About 50-75 kg of seed will sow a hectare. Most French bean varieties are daylength neutral so day length does not affect flowering.

Dwarf kinds take 6-8 weeks to mature and climbing types take 10-12 weeks. Picking starts 2 weeks after flowering. Yields of dried beans of 1,200 kg per hectare are possible. Dried leaves can be stored for later use.

Its other names

Local names

Affi, Alatram, Asare simi, Ashlan bu'ul, Babri, Bakia, Bakla, Barigalu, Binisi, Black beans, Bonchi, Bo-sa-pe, Buli, Cannellini bean, Chiclayo, Ebihimba, Ebijanjaalo, Ebikanga, Ebisobooza, Ebisobyo, Ejote, Fagiolo, Fasiole, Feijao-preto, Frash bean, French bean, Frijol, Green bean, Habi cheulas, Haricot bean, Hto-pe-ton, Ingem mame, Ingen mame, Judia, Kacang buncis, Kachang bunchis, Kachang pendek, Kidney bean, Lobia, Mahalagi, Makasikila, Malemba, Marakwa, Mattu wanyambi, Mete-beir, Mulu fintsumu, Navy bean, Ngaingai, Ngor, Noviya, Nyemba, Phanasi, Pini, Pinto beans, Poroto, Po to sa, Pra-say-taut, Purutu, Rajama, Rajmah, Rajma sibi, Sanndaek barang, Shravanghevda, Snijboon, Stapu, Ta-la-pe, Te bin, Teiko, Thia khaek, Tingalavari, To-tok, Tsai douk, Tsaramaso, Turtle bean, Wamolo

Synonyms

Phaseolus compressus DC.; Phaseolus compressus var. carneus G. Martens; Phaseolus compressus var. cervinus G. Martens; Phaseolus compressus var. ferrugineus G. Martens; Phaseolus ellipticus var. albus G. Martens; Phaseolus ellipticus var. aureolus G. Martens; Phaseolus ellipticus var. helvolus Savi; Phaseolus ellipticus var. mesomelos Haberle; Phaseolus ellipticus var. pictus Caval.; Phaseolus ellipticus var. spadiceus G. Martens; Phaseolus gonospermus var. oryzoides G. Martens; Phaseolus gonospermus var. variegatus Savi; Phaseolus nanus Linn. Phaseolus oblongus var. albus G. Martens; Phaseolus oblongus var. spadiceus Savi; Phaseolus oblongus var. zebrinus G. Martens; Phaseolus sphaericus var. atropurpureus G. Martens; Phaseolus sphaericus var. minor G. Martens; Phaseolus vulgaris var. albus Haberle; Phaseolus vulgaris var. nanus G. Martens; Phaseolus vulgaris var. niger G. Martens; Phaseolus vulgaris var. ochraceus Savi; Phaseolus vulgaris var. variegatus DC.; Phaseolus zebra var. carneus G. Martens; Phaseolus zebra var. purpurascens G. Martens;