RHS Plant Trials and Awards

Runner Beans
Jacquie Gray
Trials Officer, RHS Garden Wisley

Dr Peter Dawson
Vice Chairman, RHS Vegetable trials Subcommittee
Bulletin Number 19
October 2007

[Link]
 RHS Trial of Runner Beans

Runner Beans BBC Gardeners World Garden (Berryfields), West Dean

Gardens (West Sussex), RHS Garden Rosemoor (Devon) and
(Phaseolus coccineus)
RHS Garden Harlow Carr (North Yorkshire). Quality and
In 2006 the Royal Horticultural Society, as part of a
cropping data was requested from all sites and, when made
continuing assessment of new and established cultivars for
available, was included as part of the assessment by the
cultivation, held a trial of runner beans. RHS vegetable
Vegetable Trials Subcommittee.
trials are conducted as part of our charitable mission to
inform, educate and inspire all gardeners, with good,
reliable cultivars identified by the Award of Garden Merit
after a period of trial. Background
Runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) are also known as
scarlet runners, a term that reflects the growth habit and
Objectives red flowers of early introductions. Perennial, but not frost-
hardy, they are usually grown as a half-hardy annual.
The trial aimed to compare and evaluate a range of runner
Members of the Fabaceae family, runner beans are native to
bean cultivars, including short-pod and dwarf-growing
the cooler, high-altitude regions (around 2000 metres) of
cultivars, grown in different parts of the country, and to
central and northern South America, where they have been
demonstrate the cultivation of this crop. The Vegetable
domesticated for more than 2000 years, although wild,
Trials Subcommittee assessed the entries and outstanding
small-podded plants are still found growing in the cool,
cultivars for garden use were given the Award of Garden
partially shaded valleys of mixed pine-oak forests in
Merit. Entries were also described and photographed to
Guatemala and Mexico. The indigenous people of the
provide a lasting record in the RHS Herbarium at Wisley.
region developed a system of companion planting runner
beans with maize and squash known as the three sisters
or a guild of plants: maize provides a natural pole for
Entries bean vines to climb; the beans fix nitrogen on their roots,
There were 48 entries in the trial submitted by various seed improving soil fertility for the following years crop and
companies in the UK, Europe and the USA. also help to stabilise the maize plants, making them less
vulnerable to wind damage; the shallow-rooted squashes
Seeds of all entries were sent to Wisley and grown there. act as a living mulch that suppresses weeds and reduces
The Trials Office also distributed seeds of 26 currently evaporation from the soil.
available cultivars to East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden
(Norfolk) and to eleven members of the National Vegetable Records show that the bean was introduced to Spain
Society (NVS) for trial in other regions, ranging from following Columbuss second voyage to the New World in
Hampshire to central Scotland and westwards to Gwynedd, 1493 and then spread into the eastern Mediterranean. By
North Wales. The NVS members each grew a randomly the seventeenth century it was widely cultivated there and
selected five cultivars, plus Enorma Elite as a control. In was also being grown in northern Europe as an
addition, seeds of a number of the cultivars were sent to ornamental, with John Tradescant (gardener to King

Front cover:
AchievementMerit
(Photos by Jacquie
Gray)

Left: The bean arch at

RHS Garden Rosemoor

Opposite: Celebration

2 RHS Plant Trials and Awards

Charles I) including a plant that has been identified as
Phaseolus coccineus in a list of his plants in 1634. A short-
day plant, it would not have initiated flowering if the
nights were less than 10 hours long, so it is likely that it
would not have flowered until late August or September
and would have produced very few ripe seeds. Philip
Miller, in The Gardeners Dictionary (1754), wrote that it was
difficult to produce seed in England as the fruit seldom
comes to good.

With time and selection the runner bean became day-

length neutral, flowering early enough for pods to develop
in Northern Europe and with this its use as a food crop
increased. In the wet UK climate runner beans produced
pods that were fleshier but still, like those in the wild,
short and containing only three to five seeds. For more
than 100 years, and especially after the Second World War
with an increased interest in exhibiting, breeding was
aimed at producing longer pods. Today, with supermarkets
looking for uniform, unblemished beans at around 25cm
long, breeding programmes are selecting for flavour, better
quality and for stringless beans, as well as for self-fertilising
cultivars that give a better pod set and for novelties such as
a short-podded, mangetout bean. White flowered cultivars
are popular with commercial growers because, lacking the
anthocyanin that is present in those with red flowers, they
suffer less from bruising when transported. The runner
bean has become a popular vegetable in Britain, but is also
commonly used as an ornamental in other countries. In
Germany, Scandinavia and in areas of the USA where high
temperatures reduce setting but encourage flower
production, gardeners grow them for their showy racemes
of red, white and bi-coloured flowers, which attract bees,
butterflies and in some parts of the USA, hummingbirds.

Cultivation
Runner beans prefer a position in full sun, although they
will tolerate part shade. The sites at both Wisley and at
East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden were open, but sheltered
from the wind by trees or hedges, as strong winds can
damage young leaves and pods or easily blow over the tall,
leafy wigwams. The plot at Wisley was cultivated and raked
by hand, but no farmyard manure or fertiliser was
incorporated. Trials plots at Wisley are very rich from years
of cultivation and a soil too rich in nitrogen would have
encouraged the plants to produce lots of leafy growth but
few beans. Runner beans prefer a soil pH of 6.5 and
analysis of soil at both sites confirmed that neither was
below this: a more acidic soil might need liming. The
beans were grown on wigwams made up of four canes.
Three wigwams of each cultivar were grown at Wisley and
a single wigwam of each cultivar was grown at East Ruston.
Three seeds were sown directly into the soil at the bottom
of each cane on 24 May when the soil temperature had
warmed enough to enable germination (a minimum of
10C/50F) and later the seedlings were thinned to two
plants per cane. The wigwams were spaced 60cm apart, in
a single row at East Ruston and in rows 90cm apart at
Wisley. Trial entries at Rosemoor were grown in single rows
either side of a path, producing a decorative arch.

Runner Beans 3
 Members of the NVS and the other gardens that
participated in the trial were asked to grow the seeds as
they would normally and to record their sowing date and
methods of cultivation, as well the as cropping and quality
details. Dwarf, non-climbing cultivars were grown at the
end of the trial plot.

The trial was watered as necessary once flowering had

started, by drip irrigation at Wisley and by hose at East
Ruston. This was done in the evening to help cool the area
around the plants, as the flowers tend to abort if the soil is
dry and the night temperature exceeds 14C. Gardeners are
sometimes advised to spray their plants with water to aid
pod set as this creates localised cooling by evaporation.
The July weather had been dry and hot at Wisley, so the
heavy rain on the 27 July (16.6mm falling in a couple of
hours at Wisley) was particularly welcome. In total the trial
at Wisley was watered about six times during dry spells. At
East Ruston cool sea breezes had helped to keep
temperatures down to a maximum of 26C, in comparison
with 36.5C at Wisley.

Pests and Diseases

The plants at Wisley and East Ruston were regularly
inspected for signs of pests and diseases. At Wisley the trial
was sprayed three times before 9 August for black bean
aphids (black fly). At East Ruston the plants were sprayed
once early in the season. These large black aphids
overwinter on shrubs, migrate to the beans in spring and
can do considerable damage if the colonies are not treated
as soon as they are seen. Spraying with water will knock
them off the plants; or insecticides, either organic or a
synthetic containing bifenthrin, could be used. Red spider
mite was not a problem in the trials, but it can cause the
foliage to turn bright yellow in hot, dry summers. The
canes used for the trial were either new or had not been
used in the previous year as this prevented overwintering
red spider mite from being brought into the crop. If
infestation had occurred, insecticides based on fatty acids,
soap or plant and fish oil could have been used to save the
crop. Where mites are troublesome every year it may be
beneficial to use a biological control, introducing predators spots that are surrounded by a yellow halo. There are no
as soon as the damage is seen. remedies, so infected crops should be destroyed, but using
fresh seed from a reputable supplier should avoid the
Runner beans are a popular and relatively easy crop to problem. Sclerotinia is a fungal disease that can infect a
grow in the UK and with good growing conditions most wide range of plants, including runner beans. Signs of this
people find that they are generally disease-free. Some leaf disease are fluffy moulds on rotted stems and large grey
damage was noticed on a plant in the trial, so samples and black bodies (sclerotia) within the stems. There are no
were sent from East Ruston and Wisley to be tested by the remedies, but gardeners should practise crop rotation and
RHS pathology department. The samples were found to be remove and destroy affected plants as the sclerotia will
clear of disease and the minor leaf-spotting was attributed persist in the soil.
to weather and/or mechanical damage, probably caused by
insects. Runner beans can be infected with bean rust, Runner beans are pollinated by honey bees and long-
which causes whitish spots that later turn rusty brown. tongued bumblebees. Short-tongued bees do not pollinate
This fungal disease usually occurs late in the season and the flowers because they cannot reach the nectar from the
does little significant damage, but as there are no remedies front and so nip a hole in the base to gain access. While
a badly affected crop should be removed and beans should there is no way to prevent this, sufficient bees usually visit
not be grown again on that site for several years. Halo the flowers in the conventional way for a good crop to set
spot/blight is a bacterial disease carried on the bean seeds, if other factors, such as water availability and
which causes the leaves to have brownish, water-soaked temperatures, are favourable.

4 RHS Plant Trials and Awards

Results of the Trial

Award of Garden Merit (AGM) H3 2006

Achievement-Merit Lady Di White Achievement Aintree

Red Flame White Emergo-Snowy Celebration Red Rum
White Lady Enorma-Elite Royal Standard Wisley Magic
Flare Saint George
Emergo Stringless (Subject to availbility) TZ 5134 (Subject to naming and availability)

Previous awards not reconfirmed by this trial

Liberty AGM (H3) 1993 Desiree AGM (H3) 1999 White Apollo AGM (H3) 1999

H3 = plants hardy outside in some regions or in particular situations or which, whilst usually grown outside in
summer, need frost-free protection in winter.

Findings
Runner beans prefer the cooler, wetter climate that is the
usual English summer. High night temperatures and low
rainfall in 2006 made this a difficult year, but the trial still
cropped very well. The Subcommittee did note that there
was much more shading at Wisley where three wigwams of
each cultivar were grown, compared to East Ruston where a
single row of wigwams were grown. There the conditions
were much more open, allowing greater air flow and light to
reach the plants. The trial at East Ruston had been
outstanding, with the higher water table, cooling sea breezes
and more open cultivation of the plants helping to produce
very good crops. The foliage on the plants at Rosemoor had
not grown as leafy as those at Wisley or East Ruston, but the
entries had cropped well and were easy to pick from the
path. NVS members reported that, in spite of considerable
efforts to irrigate, most had suffered very poor pod set on
their beans due to the high night temperatures and that this
had resulted in later than usual cropping, with lower yields.
Yields from the South Coast sites did not appear as seriously
affected as those in central England, which might reflect the
cooling effect of night-time breezes from the sea. Further
north cropping, although somewhat delayed, followed its
normal pattern of peaking towards the end of August. The
Edinburgh site, which was described as quite exposed,
produced a better crop than usual and may have benefited
from higher temperatures. The records and comments
produced by NVS members were taken into consideration by
the Subcommittee when assessing the trial. It had been
hoped that their results would indicate whether different
cultivars would perform better in different parts of the
country. However, although of great value to the
Subcommittee in their overall assessment, the sample was
not large enough to allow any conclusions to be drawn
about regional suitability.

Five of the entries in the trial had specific ornamental

characteristics; red and white bi-coloured flowers for
Painted Lady Improved and Saint George; salmon-pink
flowers for Celebration and Sunset; golden leaves with
red flowers for Sunbright. The Subcommittee found that
Saint George, with its high yield of fleshy, juicy pods
performed better than Painted Lady Improved and noted Opposite: St George
that although Sunbright was very attractive, it cropped
Above: Sunbright at
too late (first picked 8 September) to be grown solely for a Wisley (Photo Alison
vegetable crop. Cundy)

Runner Beans 5
 In general, they considered that the dwarf cultivars, while
decorative, were better suited to growing in pots. These
cultivars carry a naturally dwarfing gene and have been
developed from the tall, climbing beans. They produce
runner beans on plants that grow to around 45cm high,
but the Subcommittee noted that, when grown directly in
the ground, the pods became dusty and muddy from being
so close to the soil. They commented that Snow White
had performed the best of this type in the trial, producing
a reasonable yield (16.98kg) of straight, stringless beans.

The trial also included two heritage cultivars that are not
EU-listed, Black Emperor and David Chappell, as well as
entries submitted by individuals: As Long As Your Arm
Reselected (first picked on 11 August), Bournville (very
fleshy pods, but slow to crop fully), Headway (exceptionally
long, smooth straight pods that would be good for
exhibition), an un-named cultivar (said to be similar to
Scarlet Emperor; crop to 15 September 10.69kg) and
Simms Corsair (25.36kg, but rather fibrous pods when
compared to others).

Harvest and flavour

Regular picking encourages new beans to develop and
helps to ensure a continuous crop through to late summer.
The trial plants were picked three times per week at the
height of the season. A good source of vitamin C, folic acid
and fibre, runner beans are at their best when fresh, young
and tender. They should be harvested when the pods are Judging
less than full length, snap easily and while the seeds are
still small and pale in colour. As the pods get older they The trial was assessed for the Award of Garden Merit
develop string and the pod-walls become more fibrous, by the Vegetable Trials Subcommittee uusing the
with pronounced bumps on the surface indicating that the following criteria.
seeds are enlarging and that moisture is going into the quality
seed from the pod. The Subcommittee tasted the raw pods
taste
as part of their assessment and evaluated them for snap,
stringiness, fibrousness and appearance as well as for colour
flavour. straightness of bean
stringiness
Above: The RHS Right: Runner beans
Vegetable Subcommittee in the Model Garden smoothness
at East Ruston (Photo at RHS Wisley
Alison Cundy) yield

6 RHS Plant Trials and Awards

Award of Garden Merit Runner Beans

Achievement-Merit
Sent by A L Tozer Ltd.
Red flowered, late main crop. Attractive, good quality, straight, fleshy pods.
Very straight, long, fleshy, flat, smooth pods average 36cm long, 1.8cm wide. They
have little fibre in the sides and are stringless when young. First picked 2 August.
Flowers are red; seeds are spotted with black.

Aintree
Sent by A L Tozer Ltd.
Mid-season. Red flowered cultivar that produces attractive, good quality,
slim, straight, long pods with sweet flavour.
Very straight, fleshy, flat, smooth pods average 31cm long, 1.6cm wide. They have
little string or fibre when young. First picked 2 August. Flowers are red; seeds are
spotted with black.

Celebration
Sent by Suttons Consumer Products Ltd. Also offered by A L Tozer Ltd.
High yield of handsome, straight, smooth, good quality, fleshy pods with
good colour and flavour. Flowers are a decorative pink.
Straight, fleshy, flat to oval pods average 30cm long, 2cm wide. They have little
string or fibre when young. First picked 27 July. Attractive flowers are salmon-pink;
seeds are black, mottled with pink.

Enorma-Elite
Sent by A L Tozer Ltd.
Vigorous cultivar with red flowers. Produces nice smooth, straight beans. Sets
well and has a reasonable yield.
Straight, flat pods are fairly fleshy and average 31cm long, 1.6cm wide. They have
little fibre in the sides and are stringless when young. First picked 2 August. Flowers
are red; seeds are spotted with black.

Flare
Sent by S E Marshall.
Good yield of attractive, straight, narrow pods that are smooth and have a
good colour. Very little string.
Straight, fleshy, flat smooth pods average 29cm long, 1.8cm wide. They have little
fibre in the sides and no string in the back when young. First picked 2 August.
Flowers are red; seeds are spotted with black.

Runner Beans 7
 Award of Garden Merit Runner Beans

Lady Di
Sent by D T Brown & Co.
Red flowered cultivar giving a very good crop of stringless, long, fleshy pods.
Very slightly curved, flat, smooth pods average 27cm long, 1.7cm wide. They are
truly stringless and have very little fibre in the sides when young. First picked 27
July. Flowers are red; seeds are black, mottled with pink.

Red Flame
Sent by Johnsons Seeds. Also offered by A L Tozer Ltd.
A red flowered cultivar that sets well and produces smooth, long, straight
pods.
Straight, fleshy, flat, smooth pods average 27cm long, 1.5cm wide. They have little
string or fibre when young. First picked 2 August. Flowers are red; seeds are spotted
with black.

Red Rum
Sent by A L Tozer Ltd.
Red flowered cultivar that produces a very good crop of stringless, fleshy
pods with good flavour. Sets well in hotter temperatures.
Straight, smooth, fleshy pods average 22cm long, 1.5cm wide. They have very little
fibre in the sides and are stringless when young. First picked 27 July. Flowers are
red; seeds are mottled with black.

Royal Standard
Sent by A L Tozer Ltd.
Red flowered. Good yield of stringless beans that tend to curl, but are broad
and succulent with a good snap and nice flavour.
Fairly straight, broad, flat, fleshy pods average 29cm long, 2cm wide. They are
stringless and have little fibre in the sides when young. First picked 27 July. Flowers
are red; seeds are spotted with black.

Saint George
Sent by A L Tozer Ltd.
Early, high yield of crisp, juicy pods with good snap. Ornamental cultivar
with bi-coloured, red and white flowers. An improved Painted Lady.
Fairly straight, thick, fleshy pods average 25cm long, 2cm wide. They have little
string or fibre when young. First picked 27 July. Bi-colour flowers are an attractive
red and white; seeds are mottled with black.

8 RHS Plant Trials and Awards

 * These entries have been recommended for the AGM, but cannot receive the
award until named and available to the public in retail catalogues

White-Achievement
Sent by A L Tozer Ltd.
Later cropping. White flowered, produces a reasonable yield of dark green,
fleshy pods with a strong flavour.
Fairly straight, smooth, fleshy pods average 30cm long, 1.6cm wide. They have
little fibre in the sides and no string in the back when young. First picked 2 August.
Flowers and seeds are white.

White Emergo-Snowy
Sent by A L Tozer Ltd.
White flowered. Produces a good crop of straight, fleshy pods with good
flavour. It was noted that this cultivar continued to crop well even when the
temperature was high.
Long, straight, flat to oval, fleshy pods average 32cm long, 2cm wide. They have
little string or fibre when young. First picked 2 August. Flowers and seeds are white.

White Lady
Sent by A L Tozer Ltd.
White flowered. Gives a high yield of good quality, smooth pods with little
fibre and a good snap.
Long, flat, smooth pods average 34cm long, 2cm wide. They have little fibre in the
sides and are stringless when young. First picked 2 August. Flowers and seeds are
white.

Wisley Magic
Sent by A L Tozer Ltd.
Red flowered. Good yield throughout season of very good quality, long pods
with a nice flavour.
Long, smooth, slender pods average 32cm long, 1.7cm wide. They have little string
or fibre when young. First picked 2 August. Flowers are red; seeds are spotted with
black.

Emergo Stringless Subject to availability*

Sent by Bakker Brothers.
White flowered cultivar produces a good crop of flat, broad, fleshy pods.
Fairly straight, broad, fleshy pods average 30cm long, 2.5cm wide. They are stringless and have little fibre in the sides when young.
First picked 2 August. Flowers and seeds are white.

TZ 5134 Subject to naming and availability*

Sent by A L Tozer Ltd.
Red flowered cultivar. Produces a good yield of attractive, well-shaped beans that are long, stringless and fleshy.
Very long, flat, smooth pods average 35cm long, 1.7cm wide. They have little fibre in the sides and are stringless when young. First
picked 2 August. Flowers are red; seeds are spotted with black.

Runner Beans 9
 Selection guide * Yield in kilograms: picked at
Wisley up to 15 September
Subject to availability
Subject to naming &
2006. availability

Cultivars Type Bean seed Yield from Flower

24 plants* colour

Achievement-Merit 20.07 AGM (H3) 2006 and 1999

Aintree 17.55 AGM (H3) 2006

Enorma-Elite 19.22 AGM (H3) 2006

Flare 21.76 AGM (H3) 2006 and 1999

Lady Di stringless 25.85 AGM (H3) 2006 and 1999

Red Flame 19.91 AGM (H3) 2006

Red Rum 27.50 AGM (H3) 2006 and 1999

Royal Standard stringless 24.50 AGM (H3) 2006

TZ 5134 25.50 AGM (H3) 2006, STN/A

Wisley Magic 21.51 AGM (H3) 2006 and 1999

Emergo Stringless stringless 24.32 AGM (H3) 2006, STA

White Achievement 20.58 AGM (H3) 2006

White Emergo-Snowy 24.24 AGM (H3) 2006

White Lady 22.46 AGM (H3) 2006 and 1999

Saint George 30.62 AGM (H3) 2006

Celebration 28.58 AGM (H3) 2006

10 RHS Plant Trials and Awards

Vegetable Trials Subcommittee Thompson & Morgan Ltd, Poplar Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk
IP8 3BU. [Link]
Chairman: Colin Randel
Western Hybrid Seeds Inc, P O Box 1169, Hamilton City,
Vice Chairman: Peter Dawson CA 95951, USA.
Members W Robinson & Son (Seeds & Plants) Ltd, Sunny Bank,
John Barker Tony Hewitt Forton, Nr Preston, Lancs. PR3 0BN.
Ron Butler David Jeffery [Link]
Bill Chowings Steve Mercer
Paul Corfield Sarah Wain Individuals (can be contacted via RHS Trials Office):
Mike Day Ron Watts Mr D Head; Mr R Rimmer; Mr J M Simm; Mr R Waite;
Derrick Fuller Tony Wilkie Mr F Webber.
Ian Gillott Medwyn Williams

Acknowledgements
Dr Peter Dawson is managing director of A L Tozer Ltd, an
independent company that was established in the early
1940s and is now the only UK commercial seed producer
currently breeding runner bean cultivars.
Jim England and the curatorial team, RHS Garden Wisley.
Peter Earl, RHS Garden Rosemoor
Alan Gray, East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden
Sarah Wain, West Dean Gardens
Members of the National Vegetable Society

Further reading
Biggs, T. (2003) Growing Vegetables The RHS Encyclopaedia
of Practical Gardening. Mitchell Beazley, London
Pollock, M. (2002) RHS Fruit & Vegetable Gardening
Dorling Kindersley, London

RHS TRIALS
Stickland, S. The Garden 132 (5):302
Vegetable Subcommittee at Wisley (Photo: Alison Cundy)
Dawson, P. The Garden 124 (5):336
Virtual runner bean trial 2006
[Link]
Senders of seed to the trial
A L Tozer Ltd, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3EH.
[Link] Useful websites
Bakker Brothers, Oostelke Randweg 12, 1723 LH Noord- RHS Gardening Advice on growing Runner Beans
Scharwoude, Netherlands.
[Link]/advice/profiles0800/runner_beans.asp
Crisp Innovar Ltd., Glebe House, Station Road, Reepham,
Norfolk NR10 4NB. [Link]/advice/profiles0507/[Link]
D T Brown & Co, Bury Road, Kentford, Newmarket, [Link]/advice/profiles0406/[Link]
Suffolk CB8 7PQ. [Link] [Link]/advice/profiles0802/pollen_beetle.asp
Heritage Seed Library, HDRA, Ryton Organic Garden,
Coventry CV8 3LG. [Link]
Holland-Select BV, Horn 29, 1619 BT Andijk, 1619 ZG,
Netherlands.
Johnsons Seeds, Gazeley Road, Kentford, Newmarket,
Suffolk CB8 7QB. [Link]
Mr Fothergill's Seeds, Gazeley Road, Kentford, Newmarket,
Suffolk CB8 7QB. [Link]
N L Chrestensen, Erfurter Samen und Pflanzenzucht
GmbH, Postfach 854, 99016 Erfurt, Germany.
S E Marshall, Regal Road, Wisbech PE 13 2RF.
[Link]
Suttons Consumer Products Ltd, Woodview Road,
Paignton, Devon TQ4 7NG. [Link]

Runner Beans 11
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