Blue Coco Snap Bean

Striking purple-podded beans are eaten fresh off the plant or in salads when young and tender. You can also pick the plump and full pods and remove the still-green seeds to cook as shelly beans, or wait for full maturity and add the dry, meaty beans to soups. The young purple pods fade to green when cooked. This French heirloom bean has been around a long time! It dates back to 1775 and is so-named for its "blue" colored pods and "coco" colored seeds. Productive, purple vines with decorative fuschia flowers grow about 8-9 feet tall, requiring trellising.

Days to maturity: 60

Seeds per pack: 40

Germination rate: 98% on 11/21/2024

Planting / harvesting notes

Plant in warm soil at least a couple weeks after the last danger of frost has passed. Sow directly in the ground at a depth of 1 inch, spaced every few inches, one row per bed. Thin to one plant every 2-4 inches. Provide a sturdy trellis as the vines can grow six to eight feet tall. Needs ample sun and good airflow.

Seed keeping notes

Beans are self-pollinating, though it is best to isolate different varieties of P. vulgaris by at least 25 feet (we do 75 feet to be sure) to avoid unwanted cross-pollination from flying insects. For seed saving, harvest the beans when their shells have become dried and crispy on the plants. Lay out the pods in a dry, sunny place to dry down further. Shell the beans and lay out the seeds in a well ventilated place away from direct sunlight for at least another few days to a week before storing for next year.