The Height of Bean Plants

Tall pole bean vines grow in small spaces

Whether your garden is on a patio or in the backyard, there's a bean plant that suits your available space. These annuals prefer full sun, well-drained soil and 1 inch of water weekly. You can be harvesting beans from your low-maintenance plants by midsummer.

Bush Beans

Bush bean varieties grow up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide and have a short, spreading shape. Cultivars include Bush Blue Lake, Golden Butterwax and California Red Kidney.

Pole Beans

Pole bean plants are vines that can climb a pole or trellis in a small space. Most pole beans, such as Kentucky Blue and Kentucky Wonder, grow up to 8 feet long; the hyacinth bean, however, can climb to 20 feet. According to the Cornell University Extension of Oneida County, pole beans produce up to three times as many beans as bush beans in the same space.

Half-Runner Beans

Half-runner bean plants, such as Mountaineer White, produce 3-foot-long runners but often grow like bush beans. For a higher yield, the Clemson University Cooperative Extension recommends growing half-runners on 3- to 4-foot supports.

References

• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County; Growing Bush Beans; 2006
• Clemson University Cooperative Extension: Bush and Pole-Type Snap Beans; Bob Polomski, et al.; March 2000
• Iowa State University Extension; Green Bean Production; Henry G. Taber; March 2009
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Build a Bean Tower; 2009