French beans come as climbers or dwarfs, and in Scotland your plot should decide between them. Dwarf beans need no support and crop in as little as eight to ten weeks. Climbers crop for longer, but need a support that survives the wind.
Quick answer
Cobra for a long crop from one support, if you can build a sturdy one. Boston or Sprite if your plot is exposed or you want no staking. Golden Gate for yellow pods, and Purple Teepee for dark purple ones.
What Scotland means for the choice
French beans want a warm, sunny spot, and all six recommended varieties are rated H2The RHS's H1a–H7 scale for how much cold a plant can survive outdoors, H1a being tender indoor-only and H7 hardy anywhere in the UK. Full definition →: tolerant of low temperatures but not frost, so sow or plant out only after your last frost (see the frost dates). Dwarf beans, up to 45cm tall, start cropping in eight to ten weeks, which suits a short season, but crop for only a few weeks, so sow again every so often or mix varieties with different cropping periods. Climbers reach about 2m and need tall supports, then give beans from midsummer to early autumn if you pick regularly. On an exposed or coastal plot a tall support is a risk in a gale, which is where dwarfs earn their place. The French bean growing guide covers sowing, supports and care.
| Variety | Habit | Height | Pods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cobra | Climbing | 1.5–2.5m | Round, stringless, sweetly flavoured; a long heavy crop |
| Algarve | Climbing | 2.5–4m | Straight, flat, pale green, stringless; quick-maturing |
| Golden Gate | Climbing | 2.5–4m | Large, flat, yellow |
| Boston | Dwarf | Up to 45cm | Long, tender, dark green, 15cm; sturdy plants |
| Sprite | Dwarf | Up to 50cm | Long, pencil-thin, stringless, 14cm; fast-maturing |
| Purple Teepee | Dwarf | Up to 50cm | Dark purple, turning green when cooked |
Purple Teepee doesn't hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGMThe RHS's Award of Garden Merit: a UK-wide trials award for reliable performance, not a Scotland-specific recommendation. Full definition →). The other five do.
Climbing: Cobra, Algarve and Golden Gate
Cobra is the shortest of the three, a vigorous climber that quickly reaches the top and gives a long season of heavy crops of smooth, round, sweetly flavoured, stringless pods. Algarve and Golden Gate grow taller, to 2.5 to 4m, so they need a bigger frame and catch more wind. Algarve is quick-maturing, with flat, pale green pods, and Golden Gate gives large, flat, yellow ones that are easy to spot when picking. All three grow up a support in fertile, moisture-retentive soil in good light.
Dwarf: Boston, Sprite and Purple Teepee
Boston has sturdy plants and a heavy crop of tender, dark green pods, and can be grown in containers on a patio. Sprite is fast-maturing, with long, thin, stringless pods, and is best grown close together in wide bands or blocks so the plants support one another. Purple Teepee carries its dark purple pods above the leaves, which keeps them clean and easy to pick, and the pods turn green when cooked.
Which one for your situation
- A long crop from one sturdy support: Cobra.
- An exposed or windy plot, or no staking: Boston or Sprite.
- Yellow pods: Golden Gate, where there's shelter for a tall frame.
- Flat green pods: Algarve.
- Containers on a patio: Boston.
- Purple pods: Purple Teepee.
Protect seedlings from slugs and bean seed fly, and watch for blackfly once plants are growing.
Common questions
Which French bean is best for a windy garden?
A dwarf such as Boston or Sprite, which needs no support. Sprite does best grown close together in blocks so the plants hold each other up.
How long do French beans crop?
Dwarf types start in eight to ten weeks but crop for only a few weeks. Climbers take longer to start but crop from midsummer to early autumn if picked regularly.
Is Purple Teepee worth growing without the AGM?
Yes, if you want purple pods that stay clean above the leaves and turn green when cooked. It's a dwarf like Boston and Sprite, with the same growing needs.
Sources
Show the 7 sources
- French beans: grow your own: The six recommended varieties and AGM status; dwarf and climbing habit, heights, cropping times; warm, sunny spot
- Phaseolus vulgaris 'Cobra': H2; 1.5-2.5m; long, heavy crop; round stringless pods
- Phaseolus vulgaris 'Algarve': H2; 2.5-4m; quick-maturing; flat pale green pods
- Phaseolus vulgaris 'Golden Gate': H2; 2.5-4m; flat yellow pods
- Phaseolus vulgaris 'Boston': H2; dwarf; 15cm pods; containers
- Phaseolus vulgaris 'Sprite': H2; fast-maturing; 14cm pods; best grown in blocks
- Phaseolus vulgaris 'Purple Teepee': H2; dwarf; purple beans above the leaves