Seeds: When properly stored, planted, and cared for, we guarantee reasonable germination and true-to-type growth for one year from purchase.
Non-seed products: Free from defects in materials and workmanship for 30 days from shipment.
Excludes factors outside our control (extreme weather, pests, gardener error). If something’s off, contact us—we’ll make it right with a replacement, repair, or refund.
USDA “bioengineered (BE)” foods are those with detectable genetic material that was modified using in vitro recombinant DNA (rDNA) techniques, in ways
not obtainable through conventional breeding or found in nature. The USDA’s National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard uses “bioengineered” as the nationwide labeling term.
Detectable modified genetic material in the final food
Created via in vitro rDNA techniques (e.g., gene transfer)
Modifications not achievable through conventional breeding or nature
—seeds / pkt
( ~ g )
Description
Introducing the striking Bean Seeds - Bush - Purple Queen, a standout variety that brings a splash of color to your garden. This bush bean is known for its compact growth habit, reaching a height of approximately 18 inches, making it ideal for small spaces or container gardening. The Purple Queen produces abundant yields of vibrant purple pods that are not just visually appealing but also easy to harvest due to their distinct color against the green foliage.
The pods of the Purple Queen measure around 5 to 6 inches long, showcasing a slender, straight shape that is perfect for fresh eating or cooking. With a typical maturity of 50 to 55 days, these beans are quick to harvest, allowing you to enjoy their crisp texture and sweet, nutty flavor early in the season. As they cook, the pods transform to a rich green, adding a delightful surprise to your culinary creations.
In the kitchen, the Purple Queen bean is versatile and delicious, enhancing salads, stir-fries, and side dishes with its unique color and tender crunch. This variety thrives in warm climates and is resistant to common bean diseases, ensuring a reliable and productive harvest. Plant the Purple Queen bush beans for a vibrant, flavorful addition to your garden and table.
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How to Grow — Common Bush Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Once your bush beans have sprouted and established their first true leaves, their success depends upon consistent moisture, soil balance, and steady maintenance rather than heavy feeding or pruning. These are quick, productive plants that thrive on moderation and rhythm more than excess.
Soil Health & Root Care
Keep the soil light, open, and evenly moist, never compacted. Bush beans possess shallow, fibrous root systems that suffer from deep cultivation or crusted topsoil. Use mulch or light compost cover to suppress weeds and protect root zones. A half-inch layer of fine compost midseason replenishes nutrients and encourages microbial activity that supports nitrogen fixation at the roots.
Avoid excessive fertilization — bush beans form a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria to create their own nitrogen supply. Overfeeding, especially with nitrogen-rich inputs, promotes dense foliage and delays flowering. Instead, focus on soil biology: earthworms, compost, and organic matter.
Watering & Moisture Regulation
Bush beans demand consistent, even watering through flowering and pod development. Supply roughly 1 to 1¼ inches per week, adjusting for rainfall. Deep watering every few days is far superior to frequent shallow sprinkling. Allow the top inch of soil to dry slightly between sessions to encourage deeper rooting.
Water early in the morning so foliage dries quickly, reducing fungal pressure. If irrigation splashes soil onto leaves, mulch with straw, shredded bark, or aged compost to minimize disease spread. Avoid overhead watering once pods set, as this increases the risk of rust and bacterial blight.
Mulching & Temperature Moderation
Apply a 2–3 inch layer of organic mulch once the plants are 6 inches tall. Mulch regulates moisture, prevents weeds, and keeps soil temperatures stable. In hot regions, straw mulch prevents overheating; in cooler areas, black plastic or fabric mulch retains warmth and speeds growth.
Weed, Pest & Disease Management
Because bush beans mature rapidly, even mild stress can reduce yields. Keep the beds weed-free, especially in the first 4 weeks when roots are shallow. Avoid cultivating too deeply near the stems.
Inspect plants weekly for bean beetles, aphids, and leaf spot. At first signs of damage, use neem oil or insecticidal soap and handpick adults. Encourage beneficial predators like lady beetles and lacewings. Rotate bean crops annually — at least every 3–4 years — to reduce disease buildup in the soil.
For fungal control, ensure air circulation by spacing rows 18–24 inches apart. Remove any yellowing leaves promptly, and water at the base of plants rather than overhead.
Feeding & Midseason Care
After the first flush of blooms, top-dress rows with compost or worm castings. This provides a balanced, slow nutrient release to sustain pod set without excessive leaf growth. Avoid foliar sprays rich in nitrogen; instead, choose potassium- and phosphorus-dominant organic feeds if pods appear sparse.
A compost tea or diluted seaweed extract applied around bloom time boosts resilience and encourages abundant flowering.
Mid- to Late-Season Renewal
Bush beans often produce in waves. After the initial heavy harvest, trim back spent or yellowing foliage slightly and apply a shallow compost top-dress. Water deeply afterward to stimulate new shoots. With this treatment, many varieties yield a secondary flush before frost.
Remove mature pods promptly. Overripe pods on the plant signal completion of the life cycle, causing flowering to slow or cease. By keeping the plants clean and harvested, you extend their vigor and productivity.
General Growing Rhythm
Maintain steady moisture and avoid wide fluctuations.
Keep mulch in place from midseason onward.
Feed lightly but regularly through compost, not fertilizer.
Rotate beans with non-leguminous crops each year.
Remove diseased debris at season’s end to prevent overwintering pathogens.
Harvesting
Pick pods when vivid purple and 5–6 inches long, smooth, and tender. Harvest regularly to keep plants producing.
Flavor & Culinary Notes
Mild and slightly sweet. Excellent raw, steamed, or sautéed. Pods turn green when cooked but stay tender and juicy.
Handling & Storage
Refrigerate pods unwashed 34–40°F up to 6 days. Blanch and freeze for long-term storage.
Growing & Maintenance
Support: Bush habit.
Soil and feeding: Fertile soil; moderate nutrients best.
Watering: 1 inch per week evenly.
Inoculation: Bean inoculant recommended.
Succession: Sow every 2 weeks for extended picking.
Seed Saving
Allow pods to dry fully on the plant. Shell and store seed dry and cool.
Container Tips
Grow 3–4 plants per 10-gallon pot in full sun.
Common Pairings in the Garden
Pairs with carrots, cucumbers, and basil. Avoid onions.
Extended Season Care
Warm early soils with mulch; remove cover at bloom for pollination.
Common Pests & Problems — Royalty Purple Pod Bean
Insect Pests
Mexican Bean Beetle:
A major pest of bush beans. Adults and yellow, spiny larvae skeletonize leaves by eating tissue between the veins. Handpick beetles and eggs, use floating row covers early in the season, and destroy crop debris after harvest to stop overwintering.
Aphids:
Tiny sap-sucking insects that cluster on the undersides of leaves and new growth, causing curling and sticky residue. Spray off with water, apply neem oil or insecticidal soap, and encourage beneficial insects like lady beetles and lacewings.
Seedcorn Maggot:
Larvae tunnel into germinating seeds in cool, wet soils. Avoid early planting, wait until soil is at least 65°F, and do not use fresh manure before sowing.
Cutworms:
Feed at soil level during the night, cutting down seedlings. Protect with collars and maintain weed-free soil to limit hiding areas.
Spider Mites:
Common in hot, dry weather. Cause yellowing, stippling, and webbing on leaves. Keep soil evenly moist and rinse plants occasionally to control outbreaks.
Fungal and Bacterial Diseases
Anthracnose:
Dark, sunken lesions on pods and streaking on stems are signs of infection. Use certified disease-free seed, rotate out of beans for at least three years, and avoid touching plants when wet.
Rust:
Reddish-orange pustules appear on leaves and stems, reducing vigor and photosynthesis. Remove infected foliage and water at soil level. Increase plant spacing for better air circulation.
Bacterial Blight (Common and Halo):
Angular brown leaf lesions with yellow halos spread in humid weather. Avoid overhead watering, disinfect tools, and remove infected plants.
Root Rot (Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, Pythium):
Leads to damping off and poor growth in saturated soils. Ensure good drainage and avoid overwatering.
Bean Mosaic Virus:
Causes mottled, puckered leaves and stunted plants. Control aphids to prevent spread and remove infected material immediately.
Physiological and Environmental Issues
Poor Pod Set:
Heat stress above 90°F or drought during flowering can reduce yield. Maintain steady moisture and mulch to regulate soil temperature.
Germination Failure:
Cold or waterlogged soil causes seeds to rot. Wait until soil is warm and well-drained before planting.
Nutrient Deficiency:
Pale leaves or slow growth indicate nitrogen deficiency or poor Rhizobium nodulation. Inoculate seeds before planting.
Water Stress:
Irregular watering produces tough pods or incomplete seed fill. Water deeply and consistently throughout flowering and pod development.
Integrated Management Tips
Rotate crops every 3–4 years to prevent soil-borne diseases.
Water at the base of plants early in the morning to minimize foliage wetness.
Mulch to retain moisture and reduce weed competition.
Remove plant debris immediately after harvest.
Inspect weekly for early pest or disease activity.
Q: What makes Purple Queen beans unique?
A: Purple Queen beans are easily recognized by their deep violet pods that turn green when cooked. They’re prized for their ornamental beauty, crisp texture, and rich, sweet flavor.
Q: Are Purple Queen beans heirloom or hybrid?
A: They are a 20th-century open-pollinated variety, likely developed in Europe during the mid-1900s from older purple-podded bean selections.
Q: How long do Purple Queen beans take to mature?
A: They mature in 50–55 days from direct sowing, making them an early and dependable choice for most gardens.
Q: What is the growth habit of Purple Queen beans?
A: They are bush-type plants, compact and self-supporting, growing 18–24 inches tall with heavy pod production.
Q: Why do Purple Queen beans change color when cooked?
A: The purple pigment comes from anthocyanins, which break down with heat, revealing the underlying green chlorophyll in the pods.
Q: What do Purple Queen beans taste like?
A: They have a classic green bean flavor—tender, slightly sweet, and mild, with a crisp texture when fresh.
Q: Can Purple Queen beans tolerate cool soil?
A: Yes. They are more tolerant of cooler early-season soils than many other bush beans, making them suitable for early planting.
Q: Are Purple Queen beans good for freezing or canning?
A: Yes. They hold flavor and texture well when blanched and frozen, though the purple color will turn green during processing.
Q: How should Purple Queen beans be harvested?
A: Harvest pods when they are 5–6 inches long and still tender. Frequent picking promotes continuous yields throughout the season.
History & Culture — Purple Queen Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
The Purple Queen Bean is a 20th-century refinement of Phaseolus vulgaris, distinguished by its rich violet pods that turn green when cooked. Its vibrant coloration comes from anthocyanins—natural pigments also found in blueberries and red cabbage—which serve as both antioxidants and visual markers of genetic diversity within the common bean species.
Though its exact breeding origins are unclear, Purple Queen likely emerged from European or American programs during the mid-1900s, when plant breeders began selecting for ornamental qualities alongside productivity and flavor. Its lineage traces to ancient Central and South American beans that Indigenous peoples domesticated and diversified more than 7,000 years ago.
Purple Queen was bred for resilience—capable of thriving in cool soil conditions while producing tender, stringless pods with classic bean flavor. The variety’s combination of beauty and hardiness helped popularize purple-podded beans in home gardens, where their color also aids in easier harvesting against green foliage.
As a modern heirloom, Purple Queen represents both innovation and continuity, blending the artistry of selective breeding with the enduring agricultural heritage of the Americas.
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Our seeds are grown and sourced from the US. They're then packed and shipped from Colerain NC.
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We regularly test the quality and germination rate of our seeds. We're so confident that our seeds are backed by a 1 year warranty!
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Alliance of Native Seedkeepers
Bean Seeds - Bush - Purple Queen
$200 USD
Unit price /
Unavailable
Description
Introducing the striking Bean Seeds - Bush - Purple Queen, a standout variety that brings a splash of color to your garden. This bush bean is known for its compact growth habit, reaching a height of approximately 18 inches, making it ideal for small spaces or container gardening. The Purple Queen produces abundant yields of vibrant purple pods that are not just visually appealing but also easy to harvest due to their distinct color against the green foliage.
The pods of the Purple Queen measure around 5 to 6 inches long, showcasing a slender, straight shape that is perfect for fresh eating or cooking. With a typical maturity of 50 to 55 days, these beans are quick to harvest, allowing you to enjoy their crisp texture and sweet, nutty flavor early in the season. As they cook, the pods transform to a rich green, adding a delightful surprise to your culinary creations.
In the kitchen, the Purple Queen bean is versatile and delicious, enhancing salads, stir-fries, and side dishes with its unique color and tender crunch. This variety thrives in warm climates and is resistant to common bean diseases, ensuring a reliable and productive harvest. Plant the Purple Queen bush beans for a vibrant, flavorful addition to your garden and table.
