Jade Bean

Climbing green beans, gives 6 to 7 very small beans per pod. They are a nice pink, and are delicious as dry beans. Just as delicious as green beans, and produces a lot. This bean was given during a Seedy Saturday to René Paquet, then volunteer representative at the Canada Seeds of Diversity booth, by Marie-Jeanne Disant, from Quebec City. René then shared a couple with me, and it didn't take long before charmed by their high-yields and color! Marie-Jeanne Disant: "I am so glad to find other enthusiasts for my grandma's bean. I have been saving them since the 70s, sharing them with whomever wants them, telling myself how important it is to save this heritage!" "I did indeed get those beans from my grandma. She was living in France and had never left her Ile-de-France community, unlike these beans which have crossed the ocean! She had received them from her Swiss neighbor, who made her this gift between the two wars. How did the bean initially get to Europe, and Switzerland, I have no idea! But when I moved to Quebec in the 90s, I brought some in my shoes. I thought I wasn't infringing on the law that much, since I was simply bringing them back to their original continent. [...] One more thing, they can eaten as green beans even when the small seeds are forming inside, since they are so tender." We later on learned that Mrs. Disant carried the beans in the shoes in her suitcase, not the ones she was wearing. Package: 30 seeds

Very vigorous climbing green bean, grows deep purple flowers and long striped pods. These pods can be eaten fresh. Once dry, the beans are striped too, dark grey on a paler backdrop. Please note that the hilum is not located at the centre of the bean, as it is not symmetrical. This gives the impression that the bean has been crushed once dry. The Seeds of Diversity organization as listed this variety as very rare. It is believed to come from the Mennonite people from the Waterloo region in Ontario. Package: 35 seeds

Golden yellow pods, long et thin. Very productive and stable. Comes from France and, before that, Algeria. The more you harvest, the more it will yield, over a long period. What makes this bean stand out aside from its taste is how its pods remain tender on the plant over many days, easing the work of those who don't have the time for daily harvests. The beans are elongated and deep black. A mentioned above, outstanding taste. This type of beans were introduced in France in the 1840s as 'Alger Beans' (Haricot d'Alger), since they allegedly came from Algeria. From this black bean gene pool, the French bred new varieties such as Beurre de Rocquencourt, a town near Versailles. Package: 35 seeds

Semi-Runner/Dry. 100 days to first dry seed. Viney plants can be grown on the ground like a bush bean, but would probably benefit from growing on some support. Very productive of 4 to 5 inch oval green pods that are lightly streaked with purple. 4 to 6 small seeds per pod. The origin is unsure but, according to Fruitition Seeds, seeds were traded at the Common Ground Fair in Maine, USA, in 2003. We obtained them from a seed swap in Ontario. Package: 30 seeds

Dwarf bean variety that produces a seed halfway between pea and fava bean. According to the Potager d'Antan : « It was still being cultivated in 1999 by a 80 year old man from Lotbinière, Monsieur Laliberté, who confirmed us the plant was unique in Canada. (...) Given by Laliberté's son to Antoine D'Avignon, Seeds of Diversity guardian angel. Antoine passed away in 2003. His sister, Mme. Gisèle D'Avignon, gave us the seeds. » Delicious in pea soup, a traditional meal in the province of Quebec in the past century. This variety is very rare and is considered endangered.   Package: 25 seeds

High-yielding bush bean producing shelling beans of a beautiful matte white color. They were given to us by an Iroquoian collector, but we were not able to retrieve its origin. The variety is mentioned in an old New York catalog, but it is described as a climbing variety. We do no have further informations. A rarity!