Connecticut Wonder

Pole habit snap bean. Pods are fairly sweet, juicy, and slightly stringy. Strongly climbing plants have white flowers. Pods are yellow and wide like a romano. Fully expanded pods measure 5.9-7.8" long. Large, shiny, dark brown, kidney shaped seeds. Pods contain 6 seeds. Pods showed some brown spotting from disease. Mid season maturing and above average productivity when grown in 2017 at Heritage Farm. This variety was originally developed circa 1919 by Reverend Frank Abbott (1887-1983) of Bolton, Connecticut. Rev Abbott later told his granddaughter Deborah that the beans were a "gift from the bees" indicating that bees had cross pollinated bean plants in his garden. Rev. Abbott named the new variety 'Connecticut Wonder' and believed it was a cross between 'Kentucky Wax' and 'Cranberry Pole' beans. The exact year of this cross is unknown, but seeds were saved, grown, and soon became a family favorite. Rev. Abbott shared it with his granddaughter Deborah Abbott, who in turn shared this variety with bean collector John Withee in the mid-1970s. Seeds were donated to SSE in 1981 by John Withee of Lynnfield, Massachusetts and the Wanigan Associates. SSE Accession # 101177