VegetableBean
Blue Lake 274 Bean
Bush Bean
Blue Lake 274 is the quintessential snap bean that defined what home gardeners and canners expect from a green bean. This open-pollinated heirloom bush bean grows 12-24 inches tall and produces abundant harvests in just 50-59 days, making it one of the fastest routes from seed to dinner table. Hardy across zones 3-11 and packed with resistance to Bacterial Blight, BCMV, Powdery Mildew, and other bean diseases, Blue Lake 274 combines old-fashioned reliability with genuine productivity, the kind of variety that keeps appearing in seed catalogs because it simply works.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-11
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
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
Moderate
Zones
3-11
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
Blue Lake 274 earned its place in the canning industry through sheer dependability and massive yields. What sets it apart is its ability to bear all at once, a trait that transforms canning from a scattered, constant chore into a concentrated harvest you can actually plan around. The disease resistance package is genuinely impressive, protecting plants through the season so you get consistent production rather than mid-summer plant collapse. This is a bean that gardeners come back to year after year because it delivers exactly what it promises.
Common Uses
Blue Lake 274 excels as a fresh snap bean eaten raw or lightly cooked, where its classic flavor and tender texture shine. It's equally at home steamed, sautéed, or roasted as a side dish. The variety earned its reputation in the canning industry for good reason, its simultaneous bearing and consistent pod quality make it ideal for preserving, whether you're canning, freezing, or blanching for storage.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Early Summer
First Harvest
Mid-summer
Last Harvest
Late Summer
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow Blue Lake 274 into warm soil after all frost danger has passed and soil temperature has reached at least 60°F, ideally warmer. This variety performs best when seeded directly into garden beds, containers, raised beds, or greenhouses rather than transplanted.
Harvesting
Pick Blue Lake 274 pods when they reach full length but while still tender and before beans inside begin to bulge visibly, typically 8-10 days after flowering. The pods should snap cleanly when bent and feel firm but not hard. Because this variety bears all at once, you'll harvest most beans within a concentrated window, which is ideal for canning or freezing. Regular picking encourages continued production, so harvest frequently to keep plants productive through the season.
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
“Blue Lake 274 belongs to the Blue Lake family of beans, a line that became the backbone of the commercial canning industry. Its reliability, huge yields, and simultaneous bearing habit made it indispensable to processors and home canners alike. The variety has been preserved and improved through generations of open-pollinated seed saving, maintaining its heirloom status while proving itself in both commercial and backyard settings.”