VegetableBean
Gold Rush Wax Bean
Wax Bean
Gold Rush Wax Bean is an AAS-winning bush bean that delivers bright golden-yellow pods in just 50 to 59 days, making it one of the fastest routes to homegrown snap beans. This open-pollinated heirloom thrives across hardiness zones 3 through 11 and grows to a compact 18 to 24 inches tall, fitting neatly into containers, raised beds, or garden plots. The real appeal lies in its tender, sweet flavor with a subtle nutty depth, a snap bean that tastes as good as it looks.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-11
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
3-11
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
Golden-yellow pods that stay tender and crisp when harvested at pencil thickness make these beans a visual and culinary standout. The plants are exceptionally easy to grow, producing prolifically when you harvest every three to five days to encourage continued flowering. These nitrogen-fixing legumes also improve soil fertility for whatever you plant next, turning a single season's beans into a gift for future crops.
Common Uses
These beans shine fresh in salads, where their golden color and tender texture add visual appeal alongside their sweet flavor. They're equally at home sautéed as a simple side dish, tossed into stir-fries for quick weeknight dinners, or preserved through canning for winter enjoyment. The snap quality means they're best eaten young, when seeds are still small and the pod snaps cleanly between your fingers.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Early Summer
First Harvest
Mid-summer
Last Harvest
Late Summer
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds into garden soil, raised beds, or containers once soil temperatures consistently reach 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, typically after your region's last spring frost. One ounce of seed plants 12 to 15 row feet; use 1/2 pound for 100 row feet. Sow at the spacing and depth indicated below.
Harvesting
Begin harvesting about two weeks after the plants bloom. Pick pods when they're nearly full size, roughly as thick as a pencil, with seeds still small inside; the pod should snap easily when ready. Harvest in the morning for the best flavor. Continue picking at least every three to five days, or even daily, to encourage the plant to keep flowering and producing new pods. Once seeds mature and begin bulging visibly inside the pod, the bean will become tough and past its prime eating window.
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
“Gold Rush Wax Bean earned its AAS (All-America Selections) award, a prestigious recognition given to exceptional garden varieties that perform well across diverse growing regions. As an open-pollinated heirloom, it belongs to the lineage of beans that gardeners have saved and replanted for generations, carrying forward a cultivar that professional breeders and home gardeners alike deemed worthy of preservation and wider distribution.”