Nekrassow

Purple-black, medium-size seed. 3-5 beans/pod. Bluish-green foliage produces white blossoms with dark spots. Flowers stay on plants even when temps drop into the upper 20s. Plants won't flower but can survive 90 degree heat as long as nighttime temps remain in the 60s. Perishes in water-logged soils. First pod on overwintered plants appears 10 days after the last frost-free date in my zone 8b/9a garden. These plants can reach 48" and have 8-15 branches. Spring-planted favas flower just 5 weeks after emergence but only reach 15" with 3 branches before succumbing to Louisiana's heat. Southern gardeners should probably overwinter it. We find the skin surrounding individual beans to be far less bitter than on other varieties and don't bother to remove it. A real labor saver! This seed was maintained by one of the Volga German families exiled to Siberia by Stalin. Named for their village Nekrassow (village was originally called Norka). 2024 Notes: I barely got a crop from this and may have to send older seed.