Yellow Eye:  Attractive but Diverse

Yellow Eye: Attractive but Diverse

Sometimes the common name of a plant variety covers too much territory! The colloquial name of this common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) describes its key characteristic, a yellowish eye or variation thereof around the scar. This feature results in an attractive seed but...
Early Pinkies: Pretty and Productive

Early Pinkies: Pretty and Productive

Richard Hebda and Royann Petrell (Steller Raven Ecological Farm) Bean seeds come in many colours and patterns. Many of us have jars and bags of beans stowed away for years in a dark corner, not so much for their food value but for their natural artistic merit. The...
Beka:  Golden Brown Bean

Beka: Golden Brown Bean

Richard Hebda Our Heritage Bean Project searches for early varieties widely adapted to northern climates especially in Canada. The variety Beka with its beautiful golden-brown seeds appeared as a likely candidate on several seed websites. One colourful source “A Bean...
Drew’s Dandy Delivers!

Drew’s Dandy Delivers!

In a previous article I described the characteristics of an early prairie bush bean called Drew’s Dandy and its value for dry beans (see https://heritagepotato.ca/heritage-beans/drews-dandy/  on this website). Drew’s Dandy is a common bean, Phaesolus vulgaris. This...