Latin name: Phaseolus vulgaris
🌱 Days to Sprout: 10-14
😋 Plant Food: after roots appear
✂️ Thin to: 1 plant per yCube
🍅 Days to Maturity: 55-70
💡 Light Zone: Maximum (place in bottom slot of center column)
📏 Plant Size: 2 ft
💚 Care Level: Advanced
Origin
This heirloom bean variety was first cultivated around the turn of the century in the Netherlands. Also referred to as “Dragon Tongue” or “Dragon Langerie” beans, this legume has it all: good looks, great flavor, and a bountiful, versatile harvest!
Qualities
This wax-type bush bean has creamy, stringless pods that develop purple variegations when ready to harvest. The beans reach 6 inches in length or more and are crunchy with a sweet, nutty flavor. Dragon Beans are packed with protein and fiber while also offering calcium, potassium, iron, folate, and manganese, plus vitamins A, C, and K.
Use
When harvested young, no shelling is required, and the pods are completely edible. Dragon Beans are best raw or cooked for short periods of time to maintain their crunchy texture. To maintain their vibrant purple color, enjoy beans raw in a salad or with dips as their color fades with cooking.
Care & Harvest
🌱 Germination: Bean seeds require a well-drained environment, so we recommend germinating them off of your Gardyn. To do so, dunk the yCube in water up to the top of the plastic and soak for 5 minutes. Then, place it in a Nursery without adding any more water, and add the lid. If you already have other yCubes or Microgreens germinating with water in your Nursery, keep your soaked Beans yCube separate.
💡Temperature: Prefers warmer temperatures (70-90°F).
🐝 Pollination: White, pink, and purple flowers develop 4-6 weeks after sprouting. When they appear, help the plant with pollination by gently shaking the plant, or gently swirl the inside of blossoms with your finger or a small brush.
🫶 Support: Beans require support as they mature. We recommend using our Trellis and Plant Belts to direct the vine up your Gardyn’s columns and support the plant’s many fruits.
✂️ Pruning: These beans require minimal pruning. Snip away yellow or brown leaves if they appear. Check the roots monthly and trim any that are brown or extending past the yPod.
🔎 Plant Health: Aphids and thrips are common pests, but you can use our prevention tricks to keep them at bay!
🫘 Harvest: Wait to harvest pods until they are flat, about 6 inches long, and pale yellow in color with purple streaks. To harvest, snip the pods at their individual stems, usually 1-2 weeks after flowering. Harvest regularly to encourage a new pod set to grow.
Our Plant Health & Nutrition Team thoroughly tests each variety we offer to bring you the most flavorful and high-quality plants. We regularly rotate our plant portfolio, so please note, availability varies.