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Organic Runner Bean ‘Scarlet Emperor’
£2.85
Availability: In stock
Phaseolus Coccineus – 30 Seeds.
Scarlet Emperor is an old favourite. It is a heritage variety from 1633 and remains popular to this day.
It is a reliable and heavy cropper with a fantastic flavour. It’s vibrant red flowers are edible and will attract the bees to your vegetable garden.
Like all beans, runner beans contain the toxic protein phytohaemagglutinin so should be cooked well before eating.
Sow the seeds in pots or large modules under cover in spring and plant out after the risk of frost has passed. Alternatively you can direct sow the seeds after the last frosts. The plants will need supports to climb. Harvest before the beans swell inside the pods if harvesting as runner beans and pick regularly to encourage production. Allow the pods to swell and dry if harvesting to use as butter beans!
Seed Story
Originating from Central America where they are grown as a perennial, runner beans have been cultivated since around 2000BC.
Runner Beans are also known as Multiflora beans and Butter Beans although the butter bean is also used to describe the Lima bean.
They were brought to Britain in the 17th century by John Tradescant who was the gardener to King Charles I.
Runner beans were initially grown as an ornamental plant before becoming popular as a food. It is not just the beans that are edible, the flowers and leaves are also edible! In rural Mexico they even eat the starchy roots!
Runner beans are a good source of Fibre, Folic Acid and Vitamin C
