Yardlong Bean
Seychelles Bean is an early, vigorous pole bean that reaches harvest in just 55 days, making it one of the quickest green snap beans to produce. This open-pollinated cultivar grows as a climbing vine, perfect for trellises and vertical gardening, and produces standard green pods with that satisfying snap when picked at the right stage. Grow it in full sun with consistently moist soil (pH 5.5 to 6.5), spacing plants 2 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart, and you'll have fresh beans ready to harvest in mid-summer.
Full Sun
High
3-11
?in H x ?in W
Annual
High
Hover over chart points for details
Early vigor and speed to harvest set Seychelles Bean apart in the pole bean world. The pods snap cleanly when picked young and tender, roughly pencil-thick, delivering that crisp texture home gardeners crave. Because it's open-pollinated, you can save seed from your best plants year after year, building a strain adapted to your garden. Its nitrogen-fixing roots also enrich your soil for whatever you plant next, a natural gift that keeps the garden ecosystem thriving.
Seychelles Bean shines as a fresh snap bean, best harvested when pods are still tender and seeds are small, then eaten fresh or lightly cooked within days of picking. The young pods snap cleanly when bent, a tactile signal that they're at peak eating quality. These beans also work well steamed, sautéed, or added to stir-fries while maintaining their crisp texture. Because they're nitrogen-fixing legumes, they serve a secondary role in the garden itself, pulling nitrogen from the air and depositing it into the soil to feed future crops.
Direct sow Seychelles Bean seeds outdoors after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed. One ounce of seed plants 12 to 15 row feet; use 1/2 pound for 100 row feet. Days to maturity are calculated from the date of direct seeding.
Seychelles Bean reaches harvestable maturity about 2 weeks after bloom, typically 55 days from direct seeding, though some sources report up to 65 days depending on growing conditions. Pick pods when they're nearly full-sized, about as thick as a pencil, and seeds are still small; beans should snap cleanly when ready. Harvest in the morning for best flavor. Continue harvesting at least every 3 to 5 days, or even daily, to maximize yields and encourage continued flowering. Once seeds mature and start bulging inside the pod, the bean becomes tough and past its prime.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.