Bush bean
Phaseolus vulgaris
Sow every three weeks for a steady supply instead of one avalanche.
Hardiness: zones 2 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 2 ft tall, 1 ft wide
Harvest: July to September
From: Central and South America
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, fixing nitrogen in the soil.
Native to: Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean, Andean highlands. Hardy in zones 2 to 11.
The story
Common beans were domesticated separately in Mexico and the Andes 7,000 years ago and grew up a cornstalk in every milpa; dried beans fed empires and the Atlantic passage, and green beans were a later European taste. Bush types were bred for the field, pole types for the garden.
Planting
Full sun and ordinary soil; sow seed directly after frost, an inch deep, 3 inches apart. Sow again every three weeks for a steady supply.
Growing
Water in dry spells, avoid wetting the leaves, and skip the nitrogen; beans make their own. Keep picked.
Harvest and use
Pick green beans at pencil thickness every two days; let pods dry on the plant for shell beans. Summer.
What to watch for
Mexican bean beetle, rust in humid weather, and rot in cold wet soil.
See if Bush bean fits your yard
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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home