Grandma Rose's

Pole, snap bean. Also used as a dry bean. Weak climber. Pods 4-5" long; 0.7" wide; curved; very flat. Weak suture string. Pods develop striking red stripes as they mature. 5-6 seeds per pod. Cranberry type dry beans; tan with red-purple mottling; plump; oval. Good flavor, standard texture as a dry bean. Pink flowers. Medium-low productivity when grown in 2016 at Heritage Farm. Early to mid-season maturing. This family heirloom bean is from Karen Kirsch of Oregon who has grown this variety since 2008 when she received it from her neighbor, “Grandma” Rose Pirelli. Rose was born in Cosenza, Italy. She and her husband, Jack Pirelli, married in Cosenza in 1947. They immigrated to the U.S. that same year, settling on a farm in Hubbard, OR. In 1964, Rose went back to Italy to visit family and they gave her seeds of the bean to take back to Oregon. Rose's family in Italy has grown the beans since at least 1930. Used by the family as a snap bean or dry bean. Donated to SSE by Karen Kirsch in 2012. SSE Accession # 131619