Breeding a suitable runner bean

[Raymondo]

I like runner beans, both pod and seed. Unfortunately, they don’t do well in my climate as summers are often hot and the atmosphere is almost always quite dry. I also like the perenniality of runners.
My aim is to have strongly perennialising plants that produce well in my climate. The plan this season is to grow as many different runner cultivars as I can find to evaluate how well they perennialise. If some crossing occurs, all the better. The ones that come back strongly the following season will find themselves sharing their pollen with others!
Productivity may be improved by crossing with common beans but one step at a time.

[Garrett Schantz]

I don't have perennial runner beans suitable for my climate, I have been growing a few different varieties next to each other to try for crosses though.

The Seed Stead has a large runner bean called Austrian Kaeferbohnen

They also have medium sized type called Munting's Purple Runner - unsure of it's origins, the bean has an odd seed coat.

Strictlymedicinalseeds sells a runner called Shinshu Runner.

Deaflora sells quite a few runners as well:

Magician

Bulgarian Snow Queen

Giant

Golden Sunshine Bean

Fire Bean Painted Lady

Fire Bean Scarlet Emperor

Fire Bean Lady Di

Fire Bean Crusader

Fire Bean Streamline

Fire Bean Sunset

Fire Bean Piekny Jas

Fire Bean Achievment

St. George Bean Bean - Sold out / has beige coat

Fire Bean Sadies Horse Bean

Fire bean Kollumer


Bush bean runners:

Fire Bean Hestia

Chimney Bean Pickwick

Firebeans Contra Dwarf

Fire Bean Eureka Dwarf


As for common beans: Refugee Beans and Black Mitla beans are said to outcross at a higher rate than usual.

They might work well as intermediates.


Good luck with your runner beans crosses / trials. The Dwarf runner beans that I posted are probably descended from hybrids - maybe they have a chance of performing well in your climate.

[gmuller]

Hi Ray,
Good luck with your project. A perennial runner suitable for our climates would be very useful. But almost anything would grow this wet spring!
G