Cherokee Pink Bean
Phaseolus vulgaris 'Cherokee Pink'
A rare and beautiful heirloom dry bean with stunning pink and burgundy mottled coloring that's been passed down through Cherokee families for generations. This vigorous bush variety not only produces gorgeous beans but also offers exceptional flavor and nutrition, making it perfect for both ornamental and culinary purposes. The striking appearance and cultural significance make this a must-grow variety for heirloom enthusiasts.
Harvest
90-95d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
2–11
USDA hardiness
Difficulty
Easy to Moderate
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Cherokee Pink Bean in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 bean →Zone Map
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Cherokee Pink Bean · Zones 2–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | — | — | July – August | November – August |
| Zone 2 | — | — | June – August | October – September |
| Zone 11 | — | — | January – March | May – July |
| Zone 12 | — | — | January – March | May – July |
| Zone 13 | — | — | January – March | May – July |
| Zone 3 | — | — | June – July | October – October |
| Zone 4 | — | — | June – July | September – October |
| Zone 5 | — | — | May – June | September – October |
| Zone 6 | — | — | May – June | September – October |
| Zone 7 | — | — | April – June | August – October |
| Zone 8 | — | — | April – May | August – September |
| Zone 9 | — | — | March – April | July – August |
| Zone 10 | — | — | February – April | June – August |
Succession Planting
Direct sow Cherokee Pink every 3 weeks from your last frost date through mid-June in zone 7, targeting 2-3 plantings total. With 90-95 days to harvest, a mid-June sowing finishes in late September or early October — push past that and first frost becomes a real risk. The UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar flags snap beans as a crop worth repeating in both April and May, and Cherokee Pink fits that same rhythm.
Stop sowing once daytime highs are consistently above 90°F. Bean flowers drop without setting pods in that heat, and germination turns erratic once soil temps climb above 95°F. If you hit that wall in early June, hold off until a fall window opens roughly 10-12 weeks before your first expected frost.
Complete Growing Guide
Cherokee Pink Bean thrives best when direct sown into warm soil after all danger of frost has passed. Unlike some bean varieties that tolerate cool soil, this heirloom prefers to be planted when soil temperatures have reached at least 60°F, ideally closer to 70°F. In most regions, this means waiting until one to two weeks after your last spring frost date. If you're eager to get started early, you can start seeds indoors in peat pots three to four weeks before your target outdoor date, but direct sowing tends to produce sturdier, more vigorous plants with less transplant shock.
For soil preparation, Cherokee Pink Bean performs best in loose, well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Work compost or aged manure into your planting area several weeks before sowing to improve both drainage and nutrient content. This variety appreciates slightly acidic to neutral soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Space seeds two inches deep and four to six inches apart in rows spaced twelve inches apart, or plant in hills with three to four seeds per hill. Thin seedlings to stand six inches apart once they've developed their first true leaves.
Water consistently but avoid waterlogging, which can lead to root rot. During the growing season, aim for one inch of water per week through rainfall or irrigation, delivered at soil level rather than overhead to reduce fungal disease pressure. Once the plants flower and begin pod development, maintain even moisture—inconsistent watering can cause pods to abort or beans to develop unevenly.
Feed Cherokee Pink Bean sparingly, as excessive nitrogen promotes leafy growth at the expense of bean production. A balanced fertilizer applied at mid-season is usually sufficient, though if your soil is particularly depleted, a light feeding at flowering time helps sustain productivity. Beans are nitrogen-fixers, so they require less supplemental nitrogen than many vegetables.
Watch vigilantly for Mexican bean beetles and bean weevils, which find this variety particularly attractive. Inspect the undersides of leaves regularly for egg clusters and hand-pick beetles when populations are light. Bean weevils, which lay eggs inside developing pods, become a significant concern as the season progresses—row covers during early growth can prevent infestation. Common bacterial blight and rust thrive in humid conditions, so spacing plants appropriately and pruning lower foliage promotes air circulation.
The most common mistake gardeners make with Cherokee Pink Bean is harvesting too early. Allow pods to mature fully on the plant, turning tan and papery before picking. If you harvest immature pods for fresh eating, you'll sacrifice the spectacular pink and burgundy mottled coloring that makes this heirloom so distinctive and culturally significant. Let the beans dry completely on the plant or on an indoor surface before storing them in cool, dry conditions for use throughout the winter.
Harvesting
Harvest Cherokee Pink beans when the pods have fully dried and turned from green to a papery tan or brown, with the characteristic pink and burgundy mottling becoming more pronounced as moisture evaporates from the pod walls. The beans inside should rattle slightly when you shake the pod, indicating they've reached their hard, mature state. For continuous harvests, pick pods individually as they dry rather than waiting for the entire plant to finish, which extends your harvest window by several weeks. However, if you prefer a single, efficient harvest, wait until at least 80 percent of pods have fully dried on the plant, then pull entire plants and hang them in a warm, dry location for final curing. Time your final harvest before heavy fall rains arrive, as excess moisture can split dried pods or promote mold on stored beans.
The boat-shaped seed pods are bilaterally symmetrical and can be green, yellow, white, or purple at maturity. There is a wide variety of color and shape choices among cultivars.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Green, Purple/Lavender, White. Type: Legume. Length: > 3 inches. Width: < 1 inch.
Garden value: Edible, Good Dried
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Storage & Preservation
Store dried Cherokee Pink beans in airtight containers in a cool, dark location. Properly dried and stored beans maintain quality for 2-3 years, though they're best used within the first year for optimal flavor and cooking time.
Before storage, ensure beans are completely dry—any residual moisture will lead to mold or insect problems. Place containers in the freezer for 48 hours to eliminate any potential bean weevil eggs, then transfer to your storage location.
For long-term preservation, vacuum-seal beans with oxygen absorber packets and store in a cool pantry or root cellar. Cherokee Pink beans also pressure-can beautifully, retaining their striking color when processed in soups or as standalone preserved beans. Their thick seed coat makes them excellent candidates for traditional storage methods used by Cherokee families, including clay vessels or tightly woven baskets lined with aromatic herbs to deter insects.
History & Origin
This heirloom variety carries deep cultural heritage within Cherokee communities, where it has been preserved and passed down through generations as part of traditional foodways and agricultural knowledge. While detailed documentation of its specific origin point, original breeder, or formal introduction date remains limited in academic literature, the Cherokee Pink Bean represents a lineage of bean cultivation practices developed by Cherokee peoples over centuries in the southeastern United States. Its persistence in seed-saving networks and among heirloom gardeners reflects the broader tradition of Indigenous seed stewardship, though comprehensive written records of its development remain scarce compared to commercially bred varieties.
Origin: Tropical America
Advantages
- +Beautiful pink and burgundy mottled appearance adds ornamental value to gardens
- +Mild, nutty flavor and creamy texture make them excellent for traditional dishes
- +Vigorous bush variety requires minimal staking or support structure
- +Culturally significant heirloom with deep Cherokee heritage and family history
- +Moderate 90-95 day maturity fits well into most growing seasons
Considerations
- -Susceptible to common bacterial blight, rust, and mosaic virus infections
- -Bean weevil and Mexican bean beetle infestations can significantly reduce yields
- -Rarity makes seeds harder to source compared to commercial bean varieties
- -Requires consistent moisture and well-draining soil for optimal pod production
Companion Plants
Corn and squash are the natural partners here — corn gives pole beans something to climb, squash shades the soil to hold moisture and suppress weeds, and the beans fix nitrogen at their roots that the heavy-feeding corn draws on through the season. Marigolds and nasturtiums add pest pressure on Mexican bean beetle and cucumber beetle adults, both of which locate host plants partly by scent. Summer savory has a long track record alongside beans specifically — older growers point to it for discouraging bean weevil, and it stays compact enough to tuck in at row ends without shading anything out.
Onions and garlic need to stay out of this bed. Alliums interfere with the Rhizobium bacteria that colonize bean roots — those bacteria are doing the actual nitrogen-fixing work, and suppressing them undercuts one of the main reasons to grow beans in rotation at all. Fennel is allelopathic to most vegetables and has no business mixed into any planting bed, full stop.
Plant Together
Corn
Provides natural support structure for climbing beans, part of Three Sisters planting
Squash
Large leaves provide ground cover and moisture retention, completes Three Sisters guild
Marigolds
Repel Mexican bean beetles, aphids, and other bean pests with strong scent
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, attract beneficial predatory insects
Carrots
Deep roots don't compete with beans, beans' nitrogen fixation benefits carrot growth
Radishes
Break up soil for bean roots, mature quickly before beans need full space
Catnip
Repels flea beetles, ants, and other insects that damage bean plants
Summer Savory
Deters bean weevils and Mexican bean beetles, may improve bean flavor
Keep Apart
Onions
Inhibit bean growth and nitrogen fixation through root exudates
Garlic
Stunts bean growth and interferes with beneficial rhizobia bacteria
Fennel
Inhibits growth of beans through allelopathic compounds released from roots
Kohlrabi
Competes heavily for nutrients and may stunt bean development
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #2346400)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Natural disease tolerance typical of native varieties
Common Pests
Bean weevil, Mexican bean beetle, cucumber beetle
Diseases
Common bacterial blight, rust, mosaic virus
Troubleshooting Cherokee Pink Bean
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Leaves with chunks missing, some browning, plants looking ragged around weeks 6-8
Likely Causes
- Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis) — adults and larvae skeletonize leaves from the underside
- Cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittatum or Diabrotica undecimpunctata) — chews irregular holes and can spread bean mosaic virus
What to Do
- 1.Check leaf undersides daily for Mexican bean beetle egg clusters (yellow, football-shaped) and crush them by hand
- 2.Per NC State Extension's IPM guidance, row cover at germination keeps cucumber beetles off until plants are established — remove at flowering so pollinators can get in
- 3.Rotate this bed out of beans for at least 2 seasons; adult cucumber beetles overwinter near last year's planting site, so distance matters
Water-soaked spots on leaves that turn brown with yellow halos, pods developing dark lesions, appearing after wet weather
Likely Causes
- Common bacterial blight (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli) — spreads by rain splash and handling wet plants
- Planting beans in the same bed 5+ consecutive years, which lets pathogen load build in soil and debris
What to Do
- 1.Pull and trash (don't compost) any infected plant material immediately
- 2.Stay out of the bed when foliage is wet — bacterial blight moves easily on hands and tools
- 3.Start fresh seed next season from a clean source; Cherokee Pink is an heirloom, so seed saved from infected plants carries the pathogen forward
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Cherokee Pink bean take to grow?▼
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Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.