Blue CocoĬolorful on the vine, this next selection holds a surprise when cooked! Let these big reds rip – you can find ‘Big Red Ripper’ cowpeas in packs of 50 or 150 seeds from TomorrowSeeds via Amazon.
Making the harvest a breeze, this high-yielding variety has reddish-green pods that are held aloft on their vines. This cowpea cultivar, ‘Big Red Ripper,’ is an open-pollinated heirloom from the Southeastern US that dates back to the 1850s. Our first selection is a colorful variety that is jam-packed with goodness.įalling into the same category as black-eyed peas, ‘Big Red Ripper’ is a type of cowpea or southern pea ( Vigna unguiculata) – and yes, though generally referred to as “peas,” these cowpeas are a type of pole bean.Īs noted in the must-have reference book, “ Plant Partners” by Jessica Walliser, cowpeas are more than just great to eat, they also make excellent companion plants by improving soil quality – making them an excellent choice for organic gardeners. I’ve decided to take this somewhat broader approach in this article because there are a lot of different types of edible beans that can be grown in the vegetable garden, many of which are climbers, and I don’t want you to limit your options!įinally, if you’re new to growing these sky-bound legumes and could use some pointers, be sure to review our complete guide to planting and growing pole beans. Want to take a peek at our cultivar list?Īll but one of the fabulous varieties in our roundup can be eaten fresh as snap beans, though some of them are excellent for shelling and drying as well.Īnd while most of the selections on this list are varieties of the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris – the one you are likely most familiar with – I have gathered a few cultivars into the fold from different species such as limas, yard longs, and cowpeas that can also be used in vertical gardening. In addition to these features, I’ll let you know how many days from sowing you should count on to bring each cultivar to harvest, as well as providing some tips on where to source each of these selections. I’ll also let you know how tall to expect trellised vines to get, and whether each type exhibits any notable tolerance for diseases or conditions like drought, heat, or cool weather. We’ll look at best uses for each variety – whether the cultivar is best suited to fresh eating, shelling, or drying – or all of the above! Here’s what we’ll be covering for each of these varieties:įirst, I’ll let you know which species you’re dealing with, since we’ll be encountering more than one!Īnd of primary interest, of course, we’ll also be exploring texture and flavor, as well as seed and pod color, and the size of pods at the ideal harvest time. With this wide selection you’ll be sure to find one or two dazzlers to grace your vegetable garden patch, providing you with a wall of climbing foliage and lovely flowers – as well as a bountiful harvest of colorful, delicious pods to fill your plate and satisfy your belly. We’re going to consider a collection of 15 fantastic varieties of pole beans. īut to achieve this transformative garden magic, it helps to carefully choose your seeds before you sow, since pole bean cultivars provide pods of different shapes, colors, lengths, flavors, and textures – and require different amounts of time to produce a harvestable crop.
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