Where to buy seeds
Some links are affiliate links — Verdantly may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more.
Sunray Bean is an open-pollinated bush bean that delivers sweet, tender snap beans in just 50 to 59 days, making it one of the quickest routes to a fresh harvest. This heirloom variety grows as a compact, upright plant reaching 18 to 24 inches tall, thriving in zones 3 through 9 and suitable for containers, garden beds, or raised beds. Loved for its delicious flavor and remarkable hardiness, Sunray handles drought well and produces heavily, giving you armfuls of green beans from a modest footprint.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-9
24in H x ?in W
—
High
Hover over chart points for details
As an open-pollinated heirloom, you can save seeds year after year, building a lineage of beans adapted to your own garden. The bush habit means no trellising required, yet the yield rivals taller varieties. Resistance to Bacterial Blight, Bean Common Mosaic Virus (race 15), Powdery Mildew, R, and RR gives it genuine staying power against common bean troubles, while the stringless character makes preparation effortless.
Sunray beans are eaten fresh as snap beans, picked at their tender stage and steamed, sautéed, or served raw in salads. The stringless character makes them particularly pleasant for raw eating and for children learning to prepare vegetables. They freeze beautifully for winter use, allowing you to preserve the season's abundance.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Direct sow Sunray Bean seeds into the garden after the last frost date when soil has warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Sow outdoors directly into the ground where they will grow; beans do not appreciate transplanting and establish fastest when seeded in place.
Begin harvesting when pods reach full length but are still tender and snap cleanly when bent, typically 50 to 59 days after sowing. Pick beans regularly while young and succulent; frequent harvesting encourages continued flowering and extends your harvest window. Handle the plants gently to avoid damaging the brittle stems, and harvest in the cool morning hours when pods are most crisp.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Sunray Bush Bean is known by alternative names including 'Landreth Stringless' and 'Idelight,' reflecting its journey through seed catalogs and home gardens. As an open-pollinated heirloom, it represents the kind of variety that survives because gardeners keep saving its seeds, passing packets forward through seasons and families. This cultivar embodies the practical breeding philosophy of the bush bean era: creating a compact plant that yields generously without demanding vertical space or infrastructure.”