£2.40
Out of stock
Sorry, now out of stock for this year! More coming autumn 2026.
A unique, long-saved strain of this popular & hardy overwintering broad bean. Sow Oct-Nov for harvest late May-June onwards. Large, tasty beans on heavy-yielding plants to 1m tall, will require supporting. The Broad Bean is one of the most ancient plants in cultivation, and has been grown on these Isles for thousands of years.
This is an Autumn-sown variety, and has excellent cold-tolerance. Can also be sown throughout December and January.
Overwintering broad beans are one of the first real culinary delights of the growing year, the first pickings keenly awaited, for eating raw straight from the pod, or lightly steamed for no more than 30 seconds and tossed in butter, or olive oil and balsamic vinegar. They also go very well with mint. Whatever you do don’t oversteam/overboil them, a minute or two is plenty.
Approx. 30 seeds.
Botanical name: Vicia faba
Best sown from mid-October until late November, though can be successfully sown throughout December and even into January, though harvesting period will be later and the plants will be more susceptible to blackfly attack, which the autumn-sown plants usually avoid. This is one of the big advantages of autumn-sown compared to Spring-sown varieties, along with earlier and higher yields (the plants have a longer growing season and are markedly bigger).
Due to their stature they need supports; sow them in a double-row then in late-winter/early Spring insert bamboo canes at intervals along the rows and run some jute twine around the canes to hold the bean plants upright. They get quite weighty once they’re carrying a full complement of pods.