Last edited on 1 Nov 2026. View history

Tiger Bean

Phaseolus vulgaris

Also known as Freds (EN)

A variety of bean

A dwarf green snap bean with flat green pods that have a curly tail and lots of purple streaks. Tasty, but eat it young to avoid strings and toughness. Far hardier than modern dwarf beans, so it can be planted earlier and later. A Christchurch family line from the 1960s.

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Tiger bean facts

Lifespan

Annual living and reproducing in a single year or less

Growing tiger beans

Dig the bed and add compost 1 week before sowing
Put up supports for climbing beans 1 week after sowing
Water regularly at sowing every week
Weed carefully 3 weeks after sowing every 2 weeks
Pick beans regularly at first harvest every week
Leave some pods to dry for seed 6 weeks after first harvest
Pull out finished plants and dig in the roots 8 weeks after first harvest

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Ecological requirements

Data from the FAO EcoCrop database for Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Family / Taxonomy	Magnoliopsida Rosidae Fabales Leguminosae
Optimal temperature	16 - 25 °C
Absolute temperature	7 - 32 °C
Optimal rainfall	500 - 2000 mm/year
Absolute rainfall	300 - 4300 mm/year
Optimal soil pH	5.5 - 7.5
Absolute soil pH	4.0 - 9.0
Crop cycle	50 - 270 days
Max altitude	3000 m
Life form	herb
Life span	annual
Habit	prostrate/procumbent/semi-erect
Optimal soil depth	medium (50-150 cm)
Optimal soil texture	medium, organic
Optimal soil fertility	moderate
Optimal soil drainage	well (dry spells)
Optimal soil salinity	low (<4 dS/m)
Photoperiod	short day (<12 hours), neutral day (12-14 hours)
Optimal light	very bright to clear skies

Licensed under CC-BY-4.0 .

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) ECOCROP, the crop ecological requirements database. Version 1. https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog/dataset/ecocrop. Accessed through the CGIAR Climate Action Data Hub, https://cgiar-climate-data-hub.github.io/catalog/ecocrop_1/.

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