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Climber Wall ShrubFruit EdibleAnnual Biennial

Phaseolus vulgaris 'Blue Lake'

bean (climbing French) 'Blue Lake'

An annual climbing french bean with green leaves and white flowers, producing a good crop of green beans. These can be left to mature on the plants and the white seed beans inside, stored for winter use as haricot.

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Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Fabaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Climbing
Potentially harmful: Raw pods/beans harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs): Raw pods/beans harmful if eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Phaseolus are annual or perennial legumes, usually climbing or trailing in form, and with trifoliate leaves. Grown as crop plants for their edible seeds, including runner, French and lima beans, as well as for animal feed, green manures and as ornamentals
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow up support in any fertile, moisture-retentive soil in good light. For more advice see french-bean cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Climber and wall shrubs
Edible fruit

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to black bean aphids. Young plants also need protection from slugs and snails

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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