A History Of Runner Beans

Runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) originate from the highlands of Central America, particularly Mexico and Guatemala, where they were cultivated by indigenous peoples long before European contact. Introduced to Europe in the 17th century as plants flooded in from the newly discovered Americas, they quickly found a home in Britain, where the cooler, wetter climate proved better suited to them than to French beans. This is credited to John Tradescant the Elder (and later his son, John Tradescant the Younger), royal gardeners and plant collectors working for Charles I.

In early UK gardens they were first grown as ornamental climbers, valued for their vivid scarlet flowers, before becoming a staple food crop in cottage gardens and allotments. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, selective breeding had produced reliable heritage varieties such as ‘Scarlet Emperor’, now deeply associated with British summer growing.

Folklore and traditional belief often link beans with fertility, protection, and abundance, a symbolism that carried into British rural life where a well-cropping bean row was seen as a sign of a productive garden year. Like other climbing plants, runner beans were sometimes thought to “guard” the garden boundary when trained over arches or fences. Their vigorous growth and ability to return year after year from saved seed reinforced their reputation as generous, sustaining plants.

While in the UK runner beans are most commonly eaten young as green pods, their use differs widely elsewhere. In Central America, runner beans are often grown primarily for their large, starchy seeds, which are dried and used much like haricot or kidney beans in stews and soups. In parts of southern Europe, the flowers themselves are eaten, added to salads or used as edible garnishes. The young leaves have also been cooked as a leafy green in some traditional food cultures. Like other legumes, runner beans improve soil health by fixing nitrogen, making them valuable not just as food plants but as part of sustainable crop rotations.

Today, runner beans remain a familiar and much-loved feature of UK gardens, valued for their beauty, productivity, and contribution to wildlife. Their long history, rich symbolism, and varied uses across cultures make them a perfect example of a plant that is both practical and deeply rooted in human tradition.