Permapotes

White beans (flageolets)

White beans (flageolets): Sowing, planting and harvest calendar

White beans and flageolets are valued for their seeds rather than for the whole pod. They belong to the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, in the legume family, Fabaceae. The name covers several varieties rather than a single plant with identical characteristics throughout. Seeds that are white when mature and pale green flageolets have related kitchen uses, with differences in colour, size and texture that matter when choosing a bean.

Flageolets are particularly known for small, pale green seeds, often elongated and slightly curved. That green colour is associated with a less advanced stage than the fully dry bean. White beans may have rounder, longer or larger seeds depending on the variety. Their outer skin surrounds two cotyledons, the seed’s food reserves, which form most of the flesh eaten after cooking. The shape and size of these seeds distinguish different shelling types.

Plants may be dwarf or climbing. Dwarf types have a low, branching habit; climbers develop long stems capable of winding around a support. Adult leaves consist of three leaflets, each forming part of the blade. The small flowers have the characteristic legume shape, with a broader upper petal. Flower colour depends on the variety. After flowering, pods contain several seeds arranged in a row along their length.

In the kitchen, cooked seeds have a tender texture that can be creamy or more floury according to their identity. You can enjoy them with vegetables, in soups, slow-cooked dishes or salads of cooked beans. White beans feature in dishes such as cassoulet, while flageolets are often served as an accompaniment. Their mild flavour leaves room for herbs, aromatic ingredients and sauces. Seed size also affects the sensation of individual beans in a dish.

Their garden interest lies in the diversity of shelling beans and the uses of their seeds. These are frost-sensitive plants associated with the warm season. Dwarf and climbing habits offer different outlines for different spaces. A precise variety name then gives useful information about seed colour and size. White beans and green flageolets are related expressions of the same seed vegetable, each selection retaining its own appearance and culinary character.

White beans (flageolets)
White beans (flageolets)
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