Permapotes

Wax beans

Wax beans are common beans of the species Phaseolus vulgaris, in the Fabaceae family. They are distinguished by yellow pods used as a cooked vegetable. The name describes the appearance of the pod rather than a coating added to it. They belong to the same botanical species as green beans, with a different pod colour and a range of cultivars. In English, wax beans are also distinct from lima beans sometimes called butter beans.

The pod is the main culinary part here, enclosing small seeds that are still relatively undeveloped. Its outline may be longer or shorter, rounded or flattened, depending on the cultivar. Yellow colour alone does not establish tenderness, fineness or the absence of strings. Those qualities depend on both the cultivar and the stage of pod development. Seed colour may also differ from the pod covering: a wax bean is not simply a bean with a yellow seed.

The plant is annual and has compound leaves with three leaflets, together with flowers characteristic of legumes. Pods form after flowering and change as the enclosed seeds develop. There are dwarf, bushy plants as well as climbing types. Plant shape, pod length and the duration of the life cycle are therefore not identical across all wax beans. Their sensitivity to frost connects them with the warm growing season.

A tender pod that has been properly cooked has a supple texture, sometimes with a little firmness, and a mild flavour. As the seeds enlarge and the pod ages, its texture changes. Wax beans appear as side dishes, in salads made with cooked vegetables, sautéed dishes, soups and mixtures of differently coloured beans. You can enjoy them with herbs, potatoes or other vegetables without their flavour dominating the entire dish.

In the vegetable garden, yellow pods contrast with green foliage and reveal another aspect of the common bean. Their appeal comes from both that visual diversity and their culinary use. The succession of seeds, leaves, flowers and pods makes the annual cycle easy to observe. Individual cultivar qualities remain distinct, with neither yield nor earliness guaranteed by the name wax bean alone.

View the cultivation calendar
Wax beans
Wax beans
Characteristics
  • Lifecycle : Annual
  • Exposure : Full Sun
  • Frost Hardiness : Frost Sensitive
  • Cultivation Difficulty : Easy
  • Mature height : 40 cm
Sowing & Planting
  • Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
  • Sowing Depth : 3 cm
  • Plant Spacing : 8 cm
  • Row Spacing : 40 cm
Maintenance
  • Maintenance : Low
  • Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
  • Soil Type : Humus-rich
  • Soil pH Preference : Neutral
  • Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Pollination : Self-pollinating
  • Propagation : Sowing