Not has-beans after all
Red-flowered broad bean seeds are now available from several seed merchants. In the home garden they cause a great deal of interest and many questions.
In the past these beans were known as crimson-flowered beans and they were quite common in the 18th century.
For some reason they nearly died out and the variety was rescued just in time in 1978 by an elderly lady who gave it to an English organisation known as the Heritage Seed Company.
It has become of interest to gardeners worldwide. In New Zealand, this bean or varieties of it are sold under names such as Crimson Broad Bean and Heirloom Red. It grows to about 1-metre high, the pods are a little smaller than conventional beans, and they grow vertically from the bean stalk. They are good croppers. The bean seeds are green like the common broad bean but they have a flavour and texture that most folk find to be quite special.
Broad beans have been grown as food crops for thousands of years. They are easy to grow and being legumes they benefit the soil they grow in. Nodules on the roots of legumes contain bacteria that produce nitrogen compounds, which stimulate plant growth. When the legume dies, the nitrogen is released into the soil where it benefits other plants.
As can be seen in today’s photograph, crimson broad bean flowers contrast vividly with the common broad bean’s black and white flowers. They make a bright splash of colour in the vegetable garden and are well worth a try.