Red Swan Bush Snap Bean

Red Swan seeds produce a rose-podded bush snap bean. Plants have a compact bush habit. Plants typically reach 19–24 in. Seeds generally emerge in 7–14 Days at 65–80 °F. The first representative harvest is generally reached in 50-59 Days from direct sowing.

About Red Swan

Red Swan is sold as a bush snap bean selection. The principal color is pink, and the harvest form is String-free pods about 4–5 in. Fresh green-bean flavor with tender pod walls when harvested before the seeds bulge. Best uses include fresh snap pods, cooking, freezing, tested pressure canning, and seed saving. Other seed records may list it as Bean, Bean Seeds - Bush - Red Swan.

• Scientific name:Phaseolus vulgaris L.
• Life cycle:Annual
• Planting season:Late Spring
• Growth habit:Bush
• Plant height:19–24 in
• Sunlight:Full sun
• Seed depth:1 in
• Germination:7–14 Days at 65–80 °F
• Spacing:4 in between plants; 24 in between rows
• Soil:Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5
• Water:Moderate
• Support:No-Support
• Reproductive type:Open-Pollinated (OP)
• Harvest form:String-free pods about 4–5 in
• Maturity:50-59 Days

History and seedkeeping context

Cornell identifies Red Swan as a stabilized cross between a purple snap bean and a pinto bean. The result is a bush snap cultivar with dusty rose to red-purple pods rather than the more common green or deep purple pod. That breeding history explains why Red Swan should not be treated as a generic burgundy bean under a decorative name. Its identity is tied to the unusual pod color, compact bush form, and string-free snap stage. Continued stewardship of Red Swan depends on keeping the original source, lot, year, growing location, isolation method, representative plant count, and harvest traits together. Those records help future seedkeepers distinguish the named variety from similar market classes while preserving both its useful traits and its documented history.

Why this variety is distinct

Red Swan is most distinctive before cooking, when the rose-colored pods stand out against green foliage. Like many pigmented beans, the pod color changes with heat, so cookery should not be used to judge seed purity. Pick the pods young and frequently for snap use; leave a separate group to mature fully when saving seed.

Harvest and kitchen or field use

Harvest for eating while pods are tender and before the seed becomes prominent. The crop is described as String-free pods about 4–5 in. Leave separately marked pods to mature fully when saving seed. Fresh snap pods, cooking, freezing, tested pressure canning, and seed saving. Fresh green-bean flavor with tender pod walls when harvested before the seeds bulge.

How to grow Red Swan

Direct sow 1 in deep during the late spring planting window. Keep the seed zone near 65–80 °F and evenly moist until emergence, normally 7–14 Days. Grow in full sun with loamy soil near pH 6.0–6.5. Space plants 4 in apart and rows 24 in apart. Keep the soil evenly moist through flowering and pod fill without leaving the root zone saturated. No trellis or staking is normally required, although low edging can keep heavily loaded plants off the soil. Plants typically reach 19–24 in.

Season care

• Wait for warm soil in the late spring planting window before sowing Red Swan; cold wet ground delays emergence and encourages rot.
• Water consistently through flowering and pod fill, then reduce irrigation as dry-seed crops approach final cure.
• No trellis or staking is normally required, although low edging can keep heavily loaded plants off the soil.
• Harvest for eating while pods are tender and before the seed becomes prominent. The crop is described as String-free pods about 4–5 in. Leave separately marked pods to mature fully when saving seed.
• Use 50-59 Days as the planning range, while allowing for shifts caused by weather, soil temperature, and plant stress.

Maturity and harvest timing

50-59 Days from direct sowing to the first eating harvest under suitable conditions. Harvest for eating while pods are tender and before the seed becomes prominent. The crop is described as String-free pods about 4–5 in. Leave separately marked pods to mature fully when saving seed.

Saving seed

The crop is largely self-pollinating, but occasional insect-carried crossing can occur among compatible varieties. Save from several healthy, true-to-type Red Swan plants rather than one exceptional individual. Mark seed plants before the eating harvest, remove clear off-types before they contribute pollen, and let seed reach full biological maturity. Shell only fully dry pods, discard moldy or insect-damaged seed, and dry the cleaned seed again before storage. Label the lot with crop, variety, source, year, location, plant count, isolation method, and selection traits. Keep the original packet and lot history with the saved seed so later grow-outs can be compared without relying only on memory or seed color.

Common problems

Watch Red Swan for bean beetles, aphids, leafhoppers, mites, pod-feeding insects, bacterial or fungal leaf spots, rust, mosaic symptoms, and root rots. Rotate away from legumes, avoid working wet foliage, water at the soil line, and remove badly diseased plants. Cold wet soil commonly causes poor emergence; excess nitrogen can create leafy growth with fewer pods. Save seed only from healthy representative plants.

Frequently asked questions