Scarlet Runner Bean
Phaseolus coccineus
Scarlet flowers against green, heart-shaped foliage. Rapid climbers. Beans are edible and delicious when young. Keep pods picked for continuous bloom. May simply be called scarlet runner. A hummingbird favorite. Edible Flowers: The flowers offer a mild and sweet flavor. Use them to garnish or in salads, soups, and desserts.
Harvest
45-55d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
3–10
USDA hardiness
Difficulty
Easy
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Scarlet Runner Bean in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 bean →Zone Map
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Scarlet Runner Bean · Zones 3–10
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | — | — | June – July | August – October |
| Zone 4 | — | — | June – July | August – September |
| Zone 5 | — | — | May – June | August – September |
| Zone 6 | — | — | May – June | July – September |
| Zone 7 | — | — | April – June | July – August |
| Zone 8 | — | — | April – May | June – August |
| Zone 9 | — | — | March – April | May – July |
| Zone 10 | — | — | February – April | May – June |
| Zone 1 | — | — | July – August | September – August |
| Zone 2 | — | — | June – August | September – September |
| Zone 11 | — | — | January – March | April – May |
| Zone 12 | — | — | January – March | April – May |
| Zone 13 | — | — | January – March | April – May |
Succession Planting
Scarlet runners produce over a long window if you keep picking, but a single sowing will slow down in peak summer heat — flowering drops off sharply when daytime temperatures stay above 85–90°F. Direct sow every 3 weeks from late April through early June to keep a steady supply coming; that typically gives you 2–3 successions before the heat shuts things down. The UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar recommends a third bean planting in May, which fits this cadence.
Don't sow after mid-June in zone 7 — the beans will germinate fine, but they'll hit peak heat right at flowering and set very little. A fall succession is possible with a mid-August sowing once temperatures start to back off, but germination can be spotty if the soil is still hot and dry from summer.
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Growth rate: Rapid.
Harvesting
Garden value: Edible
Edibility: Edible green pods that turn purple
Storage & Preservation
Fresh pods keep best in the refrigerator crisper drawer for 5-7 days in a perforated plastic bag. Don't wash until ready to use, as moisture encourages decay.
For longer storage, blanch young pods in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then freeze in airtight containers for up to 8 months. Mature green pods can be pickled like dilly beans.
Dried beans should be thoroughly cured until they contain less than 15% moisture—properly dried beans will shatter when hit with a hammer. Store in airtight containers in a cool, dark place for up to 2 years. Freeze dried beans for 48 hours before storage to eliminate any bean weevils.
History & Origin
Native to the mountainous regions of Central America, particularly Mexico and Guatemala, scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) have been cultivated for over 2,000 years. Unlike common beans, they're actually perennial in frost-free climates, growing from thick, fleshy roots that can be harvested and eaten like sweet potatoes.
Spanish conquistadors brought scarlet runners to Europe in the 16th century, where they quickly became popular in England's cottage gardens—both for their ornamental red flowers and substantial food value. The variety thrived in Britain's cool, moist summers better than heat-loving common beans.
In traditional Mexican cuisine, both the roots and beans were dietary staples. The Aztecs called them 'ayocotes' and considered them sacred. European settlers initially grew them primarily as ornamental flowering vines before discovering their culinary value. Today, they remain especially popular in British gardens and are experiencing renewed interest among American gardeners seeking dual-purpose ornamental edibles.
Advantages
- +Attracts: Hummingbirds
- +Edible: Edible green pods that turn purple
- +Fast-growing
Considerations
- -Toxic (Seeds): Low severity
Companion Plants
The Three Sisters combination — corn, beans, and squash — works here for structural reasons as much as anything else. Scarlet runners climb corn stalks without a separate trellis, squash leaves shade the soil and suppress weeds, and the beans fix nitrogen at their roots, which the corn draws on steadily. One timing detail most people miss: plant the corn 2–3 weeks ahead of the beans, or the beans will outpace it before the stalks are sturdy enough to support a climbing vine.
Nasturtiums are worth planting at the row ends specifically as a trap crop for aphids — the insects tend to pile onto the nasturtiums rather than the beans, and once a nasturtium gets heavily colonized you can pull the whole plant and take the aphids with it. Summer savory has a long-standing reputation for reducing Mexican bean beetle pressure when grown nearby; the mechanism isn't fully nailed down, but it's a low-cost experiment. Radishes interplanted at 4–6 inch spacing break up surface soil crust early in the season and are harvested well before beans need the room.
Alliums — onions, garlic, shallots — are the ones to keep out of the bean bed. The sulfur compounds they release appear to inhibit legume root development, including the nitrogen-fixing nodules that make beans worth growing in the first place. Fennel is a separate problem: it exudes root compounds that stress a wide range of nearby crops and competes hard for water and nutrients. Give it its own container or a far corner, at least 24 inches from the bean row.
Plant Together
Corn
Provides natural support structure for climbing beans while beans fix nitrogen for corn
Squash
Part of Three Sisters planting, large leaves shade soil and suppress weeds
Marigolds
Repel Mexican bean beetles and other harmful insects
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, keep pests away from beans
Carrots
Beans improve soil nitrogen while carrots break up soil, benefiting bean root development
Radishes
Help break up compacted soil and may deter bean root fly
Lettuce
Benefits from nitrogen fixed by beans, provides living mulch
Summer Savory
Repels bean beetles and may improve bean flavor and growth
Keep Apart
Onions
Can inhibit bean growth and nitrogen fixation through root compounds
Sunflowers
Allelopathic compounds can stunt bean growth and compete for nutrients
Fennel
Produces allelopathic compounds that inhibit growth of beans and most garden plants
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #2346400)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Generally disease resistant, some tolerance to cool, wet conditions
Common Pests
Mexican bean beetle, aphids, spider mites
Diseases
Bacterial blight, anthracnose, root rot in poorly drained soils
Troubleshooting Scarlet Runner Bean
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Leaves with ragged chunks missing, skeletonized patches, or small round holes — noticed around weeks 4–7
Likely Causes
- Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis) — the larvae are the main culprits; they feed on the underside of leaves and leave that lacy skeleton look
- Bean leaf beetle, which punches cleaner round holes than the Mexican bean beetle
What to Do
- 1.Flip leaves and look for the yellow, spiny larvae or the copper-colored adults; hand-pick and drop them in soapy water
- 2.Neem oil applied to leaf undersides every 7 days can knock back a moderate infestation
- 3.Per the UGA Pest Management calendar, scout every few days — early discovery is the whole game here
Water-soaked spots on leaves or pods that turn brown and papery, sometimes with a yellow halo; plants that have been in the same spot for multiple seasons
Likely Causes
- Bacterial blight (Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola or Xanthomonas axonopodis) — spreads by rain splash and overhead watering
- Repeated planting in the same bed, which lets the pathogen build up in soil debris
What to Do
- 1.Switch to a soaker hose or drip irrigation — keeping water off the foliage cuts transmission significantly
- 2.Remove and bag (don't compost) any affected plant material
- 3.Rotate beans out of that bed for at least 2 seasons; NC State Extension's organic gardening guidance specifically calls out legume rotation as a disease-cycle breaker
Dark, sunken lesions on pods, sometimes with a pink or salmon-colored ooze in humid weather
Likely Causes
- Anthracnose (Colletotrichum lindemuthianum) — a fungal disease that overwinters in seed and soil debris
- Cool, wet conditions at 55–65°F accelerate spread
What to Do
- 1.Start with clean, disease-free seed — this one is largely seed-borne, so sourcing matters
- 2.Pull and trash infected pods and vines; don't leave debris on the soil surface
- 3.Avoid working in the bean patch when foliage is wet, which is when spores spread most readily
Plants wilting despite adequate water, yellowing from the base up, roots appearing brown or mushy at the crown
Likely Causes
- Root rot — most commonly Pythium or Rhizoctonia solani — triggered by poorly drained soil or overwatering
- Planting too early into cold, wet soil below 60°F, which stresses germination and invites pathogen entry
What to Do
- 1.Don't direct sow until soil temperature is consistently at or above 60°F — in zone 7 that's generally late April
- 2.Amend heavy clay with compost before planting and avoid low spots where water pools after rain
- 3.If root rot is already present, pull affected plants; there's no saving them, but improving drainage protects the rest
Frequently Asked Questions
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Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
- ExtensionNC State Extension
- BreederJohnny's Selected Seeds
- USDAUSDA FoodData Central
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.