Sunset Runner Bean
Phaseolus coccineus 'Sunset'
Height: 8 feet
Spacing: 8 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: (annual)
Description:
A beautiful vining edible ornamental; vines reach upwards of 6ft; beautiful peach-pink flowers blossom prior to long green pods, full of gorgeous black beans flecked and edged with purple; can be eaten fresh, canned, frozen or shelled; early summer crop
Edible Qualities
Sunset Runner Bean is an annual vegetable plant that is commonly grown for its edible qualities. It produces green long fruit which are usually ready for picking from early to late summer. The fruits have a delicious taste.
The fruit are most often used in the following ways:
- Fresh Eating
- Eating When Cooked/Prepared
- Cooking
- Drying
- Pickling
Planting & Growing
Sunset Runner Bean will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 inches. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 8 inches apart. Because of its vigorous growth habit, it may require staking or supplemental support. This fast-growing vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.
This plant is typically grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average conditions that are neither too wet nor too dry, and is very intolerant of standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
Sunset Runner Bean is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
