VegetableBean
Taylor Dwarf Horticulture Bean
Taylor Dwarf Horticulture Bean is a compact, productive heirloom that traces its roots to colonial American gardens, where it earned a devoted following for its reliable yields and dual-purpose versatility. This open-pollinated bush bean reaches just 12 to 24 inches tall, making it unusually space-efficient for both container growing and traditional garden beds. With a harvest window of 50 to 59 days from planting, it delivers beans quickly enough for multiple succession plantings through a season. Both the fresh pods and dried seeds are superb, packed with nutrition and flavor that colonial gardeners valued enough to keep this variety alive for generations.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-11
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam
Growth Stats
24 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
4
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-11
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
Low
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Highlights
The real draw here is the combination of extremely dwarf stature with genuine heirloom pedigree and versatility. You can grow this in a container on a patio or tuck it into a small raised bed and still pull substantial harvests. The beans excel fresh as shelling beans or dried for winter storage, and the compact habit means it takes up minimal space while resisting both bacterial blight and powdery mildew, two of the most common bean problems.
Common Uses
Fresh shelling is where these beans truly shine; pop the plump pods and you have tender beans ready for simmering in soups, stews, or simple butter. The dried beans store exceptionally well and develop deeper, earthier flavors over winter, making them excellent for baked bean dishes or hearty braises. Some gardeners enjoy the immature pods as snap beans, though the variety's heritage points more toward the shelling and dried uses.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds outdoors once soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the danger of frost has passed. Plant seeds 1 inch deep, spaced 4 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart. Beans prefer to be sown directly rather than transplanted, as they establish quickly from seed.
Harvesting
For fresh shelling, harvest pods when they are full and firm but the beans inside still have some give when gently squeezed; this typically occurs 50 to 59 days after planting. You'll know pods are ready when they feel heavy with beans and snap cleanly from the stem. For dried beans, leave pods on the plant until they have turned brown and papery; shell them and spread the dried beans on a screen in a warm, dry location for several days before storing. A single plant can produce multiple pickings if you harvest consistently, encouraging the plant to set more flowers.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Phaseolus vulgaris
Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Phaseolus
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)VI (I)
History & Origin
“Taylor Dwarf Horticulture Bean carries the story of colonial American seed saving within its genetics. This heirloom was a mainstay in early American kitchen gardens, grown by families who valued not just its productivity but its adaptability to small spaces and its dual usefulness as a fresh or dried bean. The variety survived because gardeners kept replanting it, year after year, saving seed from the best plants and passing packets to neighbors and relatives. What began as a practical choice in 18th-century gardens has persisted through open-pollinated seed networks, allowing home gardeners today to grow the same bean their ancestors tended.”