This is a very rare broad bean variety, that came close to extinction! It is still not readily available on the market, so I am thrilled to have saved seed from my own garden!

What makes this variety special is its stunning crimson flowers. Plants produce gorgeous purple flowers all over the plant, which develop into upright seed pods, of 2 to 4 seeds in each. This is a shorter variety than traditional ones, making it a lovely fit in a smaller garden, raised bed, or grown as a border plant.

Broad beans are grown for their sweet, succulent seeds. Harvest the pods with garden snips or scissors, when pods fully fill out. Then shell each pod for the seeds within. I prefer to remove the outer layer on each bean seed, as I find the skin bitter, but this is a personal preference.

Broad beans may be eaten raw (as I often do!), blitzed into a delicious dip or cooked.

This variety is a real showpiece, your friends will be asking about!

Growing Information:

Sow seeds directly in the early spring, or start them indoors in individual seed cells. Sow seeds 1 inch deep. Transplant to the garden at least 4 to 6 weeks before the final frost date, spacing plants at least 8 inches apart. Plant are hardy and can take a frost.

Also known as Fava, grow this plant through the season, then cut it down and use the dead plant material as mulch, thereby adding organic matter to the soil. The roots will break down over the winter, releasing nitrogen nodules, that help to add nitrogen back to the soil.

Plants grow upright and do not require staking, but a few bamboo canes and twine wrapped around a row of plants will help to keep them growing upright, as they can get top heavy.

Days to Maturity: 75-85

Price: $4.50 each

Packet: 15 seeds

Germination: 90%