VegetableBean
Dark Red Kidney Bean
Dark Red Kidney Bean is the classic red bean of Mexican cuisine, a hardy annual that grows 24 to 36 inches tall and produces a generous harvest in just 50 to 59 days. This open-pollinated heirloom variety thrives across hardiness zones 3 through 11, making it accessible to gardeners nearly everywhere. The beans themselves are prized for their hearty texture and remarkable ability to absorb the flavors of the dishes they're cooked in, which is why they've become a staple in kitchens from Mexico to the American South.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-11
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam
Growth Stats
36 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
4
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-11
Size
36in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
These beans earn their reputation through a combination of reliable performance and culinary excellence. Grown in an upright, bushy form that fits neatly into garden beds, containers, and raised beds, they deliver abundant harvests of deeply colored beans with a distinctive shape that cooks recognize instantly. The hearty texture and flavor-absorbing quality make them essential for anyone who cares about the beans in their chili, refried bean dishes, and traditional Mexican cooking.
Common Uses
Dark Red Kidney Beans are a culinary workhorse, most famously used in refried beans, where their hearty texture and ability to break down into a creamy consistency is unmatched. They excel in bean soups, chiles, and slow-cooked stews where their dense flesh holds up through long cooking times while absorbing surrounding flavors. They're also essential for traditional dishes like red beans and rice, and they work beautifully in bean salads where their size and shape remain distinct. Home cooks prize them for any recipe where the beans themselves are the main event rather than a supporting ingredient.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Sow Dark Red Kidney Bean seeds directly into the garden after the last frost date has passed and soil temperatures have warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant seeds 4 inches apart in rows spaced 24 inches apart. They can also be direct sown into containers and raised beds using the same spacing.
Harvesting
Harvest Dark Red Kidney Beans for dry storage once the pods have turned brown and papery on the plant, typically around 90 to 100 days from planting. At this stage, the beans inside will have hardened completely and will rattle when you shake the pod. You can harvest individual pods as they mature or wait until the entire plant has dried down and harvest all at once. Shell the dried pods by hand or allow them to dry further in a cool, dry place indoors before removing the beans. Store the dried beans in an airtight container in a cool location.
Growing Calendar
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
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
“Dark Red Kidney Beans belong to the Phaseolus vulgaris species, a domesticated bean that originated in Mesoamerica thousands of years ago. The kidney bean type itself developed over centuries as indigenous peoples and later farmers selected for size, shape, and cooking qualities that suited their culinary traditions. This particular variety represents an open-pollinated heirloom line, meaning it has been passed down through generations of gardeners and seed savers who recognized its reliability and flavor. The beans arrived in Europe through Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century and eventually spread worldwide, but they remain most closely associated with Mexican cuisine, where they are fundamental to regional cooking traditions.”