Tenderstar Bean Seeds

The Best of Runner and French Beans in One!
Extra succulent, so rich, and simply delicious!
Genus: Phaseolus
Species: coccineus
Variety: Tenderstar Hybrid
Item Form: (P) Pkt of 50 seeds
Bloom Start To End: Late Spring – Mid Summer
Fruit Color: Green
Habit: Vining
Seeds Per Pack: 50
Plant Height: 10 ft
Plant Width: 12 in
Fruit Length: 7 in
Additional Characteristics: Butterfly Lovers, Direct Sow, Easy Care Plants, Edible, Flower, Free Bloomer, Soil Builder
Bloom Color: Light Pink, Multi-Color, Red
Foliage Color: Medium Green
Harvest Season: Late Summer, Mid Summer
Light Requirements: Full Sun
Moisture Requirements: Moist,  well-drained
Resistance: Heat Tolerant, Humidity Tolerant
Soil Tolerance: Normal,  loamy
Uses: Beds, Cuisine, Ornamental, Outdoor, Vines and Climbers

70 days from direct-sowing. Tenderstar is out to become your bean of choice: the one you grow when you can only select one variety, the one that everyone praises and exclaims over in the garden as well as on the plate! This is an entirely new type of bean, a cross of French and runner varieties with all the best characteristics (culinary and ornamental!) of both. You’re going to love it!

The result of 15 years of British breeding, Tenderstar has all the gourmet texture of a French bean — fleshy, smooth scrumptiousness — with the rich flavor and beautiful blooms of a runner bean. These silky pods reach about 7 inches long, stringless and meaty with a succulence you will ADORE. They are filled with dark brown-spotted beige seeds that resemble big pinto beans.

And as if that weren’t enough, the climbing vine on which the beans grow is as lovely as any scarlet runner bean. The pea-like flowers are two-tone, a pale pink offsetting the rich red. They arise profusely from late spring through midsummer, adding beauty to the vegetable patch and height to the annual bed!

Expect this bean to reach 10 feet tall (or more) and about a foot wide. It needs support, and makes a great choice for a 3 Sisters planting. If direct-sowing, plant the seeds about 2 to 3 inches deep once the soil has warmed in spring. Space them about 12 inches apart, in rows 5 feet apart in rich, well-drained soil receiving full sunshine. Or you can begin the seeds indoors in late winter, germinating them at a temperature of 64 to 68 degrees F (germination will take between 7 and 10 days) and then growing them on slightly cooler. If you do begin the seeds indoors, let them harden off (get used to the weather) for about a week before you transplant them into the garden. (Placing them in a sheltered spot that receives a bit of shade and is free from strong wind is the best way to do this.)

Tenderstar is already in markets in Europe under the name ‘British Tender Beans,’ and has created a sensation. Now it’s ready to conquer America, beginning with your garden!