Runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) are one of the easiest crops to grow, bearing masses of long, sweet-tasting beans all summer long. While they can reach 2-3m tall, they don't take up much ground space - grow them on the veg plot or scrambling up a wigwam in a border. You can even grow them a large container.

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Find out all you need to know about growing runner beans in our runner bean Grow Guide.

The pretty red, white or bi-coloured flowers are edible and have a beany flavour - use them as a garnish or to decorate salads.

There's a wide range of runner bean to choose from - here are five of the best.

1

'Scarlet Emperor'

Runner bean 'Scarlet Emperor' is an old favourite - a heritage variety that has been grown in Britain for centuries. It has bright red flowers and produces heavy crops of long, smooth, dark-green pods with an great flavour.

Handful of 'Scarlet Emperor' runner beans
2

'Painted Lady'

Runner bean 'Painted Lady' is a Victorian variety that is grown as much for its pretty bicoloured red and white flowers as for its large crops of tender, medium length, well-flavoured beans.

Red and white flowers of runner bean 'Painted Lady'
3

'Red Rum'

Runner bean 'Red Rum' is a self-fertile, which means that it doesn't need cross pollination from other bean plants nearby. So even if you grew one plant, you would enjoy a tasty crop. 'Red Rum' starts cropping early in summer and carries on producing heavy crops of medium-length beans throughout the season. Its ability to set beans even in poor weather means it outcrops many other varieties.

Picked 'Red Rum' runner beans, lying on hessian
4

'White Lady'

Runner bean 'White Lady' bears pretty, pure white flowers and long, mid-green, stringless, tender pods with white seeds. It's a reliable and heavy cropper, and is more tolerant of dry, hot conditions than some other varieties.

A wooden trug full of 'White Lady' runner beans
5

'Polestar'

British bred, 'Polestar' is a is a reliable runner bean that bears heavy crops of stringless and smooth, fleshy pods. They have a good flavour. It's early to flower and the flowers set easily; it crops over a long season.

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'Polestar' runner beans, placed on hessian
Try growing sweet peas alongside your runner beans - not only does the combination look pretty, it will help to attract beneficial pollinators, too.
Harvesting runner beans into a saucepan

Tips for growing runner beans

  • Sow seeds under cover from mid-April and plant out from late May.
  • Alternatively sow in mid- to late May, outdoors. Sow two per support.
  • Grow in a sheltered, sunny position and dig in plenty of organic matter into the soil before planting.
  • Protect seedlings from slugs and squash blackfly as soon as they appear on shoot tips.
  • Keep plants well-watered.
  • Pick beans regularly, as leaving pods on the plant will stop production and shorten the season.
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