French Bean — Vegetables

Phaseolus vulgaris

Full sun, moderate watering — frost tender — shelter over winter.

Photograph of French Bean — iNaturalist / GBIF

Sow: Apr–May
Plant out: Jun
Harvest: Jul–Aug
In flower: Jun, Jul, Aug

Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Difficulty: Demanding
Hardiness: H2
Season: summer
Height: 250–400 cm
Spacing: 100 cm
Pets: Toxic to pets

Grows well with

Beetroot — Dwarf French beans are named as a good neighbour for beetroot. Mixed planting is held to let different crops help each other, partly through scent that puts pests off.Sweet Corn — Sow climbing French beans at the foot of your sweetcorn once it is about 30cm tall: the corn stems take the place of canes, and the beans put nitrogen back into the soil.Lettuce — Dwarf French beans are named as a good neighbour for lettuce. Mixing unlike crops is held to help them along, partly because the scents put feeding pests off.Onion — Onions and dwarf French beans are a long-standing bad pairing - give them separate zones rather than the same row.Potato — Dwarf French beans are named as a good neighbour for potatoes. The thinking is that mixed planting lets different crops help each other, partly because their scent puts feeding pests off.Pumpkin — Pumpkin and climbing beans help each other: the pumpkin leaves raise the humidity around the beans, which helps them set pods, and the beans fix nitrogen the pumpkin can use.

Growing notes

Grows to 2.5-4 metres. Space about 50-100cm apart. In flower Jun-Aug.

Toxic to pets

Raw pods and beans are harmful if eaten, for people and for pets; properly cooked beans are fine. Don't eat them raw and keep raw beans and pods away from children and pets; the RHS also notes the plant can irritate or sensitise skin. If someone eats raw beans, get medical advice; for a pet, contact a vet.

→ NHS 111 for a person; your vet or the Animal PoisonLine for an animal