VegetableBean
Royal Burgundy Bean
Snap Bean
Royal Burgundy Bean is a striking heirloom snap bean that brings deep purple pods to your garden, then reveals their tender, stringless treasure when cooked. This open-pollinated variety matures in 50 to 60 days (sources vary slightly on the lower end) and grows as a compact bush reaching just 12 to 24 inches tall, making it equally at home in raised beds, containers, or traditional garden rows. Bred for disease resistance and high yields, it thrives in hardiness zones 3 through 9 and stands up to the common ailments that plague bean growers.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-9
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
High
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam
Preferred Temp65-85°F
Growth Stats
24 in
Height
—
Width
4 in
Spacing
50–59
Days to Harvest
PeriodAnnual
TypeBush
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
High
Zones
3-9
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
The distinctive deep purple color of the pods is what first catches your eye in the garden, but the real appeal emerges when you harvest them young and tender. The beans snap easily and cook down to a crisp green with a delicious, clean flavor. These plants produce abundantly in compact space, making them excellent for container gardening or gardeners working with limited room. Their resistance to multiple bean diseases means you spend less time troubleshooting and more time harvesting.
Common Uses
Royal Burgundy Beans are eaten as fresh snap beans, harvested while young and tender when the pods snap cleanly between your fingers. They're equally at home steamed as a simple side dish, sautéed with garlic and olive oil, or added to salads and vegetable medleys. Because they're stringless and slow to mature beyond tender pod stage, they reward frequent harvesting and encourage the cook to use them fresh rather than dried.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Early Summer
First Harvest
Mid-summer
Last Harvest
Late Summer
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow Royal Burgundy Bean seeds outdoors after the last spring frost when soil has warmed to 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant seeds 1 inch deep (typical bean depth when not otherwise specified) at a rate of about one ounce per 12 to 15 row feet. Beans do not transplant well, so direct seeding is the preferred method.
Harvesting
Pick pods when they are nearly full-sized, about as thick as a pencil, while the seeds inside are still small. The pod should snap cleanly when bent; once seeds begin to bulge and mature, the bean becomes tough and less palatable. Harvest in the morning for the best flavor. Pick at least every 3 to 5 days to encourage continued production; you can harvest daily if desired. Pods are ready for harvest about two weeks after the plant blooms.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Phaseolus L.
Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Phaseolus
Duration
Annual
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)VI (I)
History & Origin
“Royal Burgundy Bean is an heirloom open-pollinated variety, one of those cherished plants that seed savers and gardeners have preserved across generations because it simply performs. The exact origin of this cultivar is not documented in available sources, but like all heirloom beans, it represents the collective knowledge of gardeners who selected and saved seeds from the best plants year after year. Its journey to modern seed catalogs reflects the broader movement to preserve genetic diversity in vegetables and maintain varieties that home gardeners can reliably save and replant.”