Wilhelm October

Vigorous pole, dry bean. Seeds small, round, and white with a maroon spot at the eye. Great, sweet flavor and smooth texture. Very long season. Pods 3-4" long; 0.5" wide; green; slightly curved; stringy; highly constricted between seeds. Pods turn yellow at maturity. 5-7 seeds per pod. White flowers. Low productivity when grown in 2016 at Heritage Farm due to late maturity. Donated to SSE circa 1990 by John H. Wilhelm of Keokuk, Iowa. John's original donation letter stated that when his great-grandmother moved to Lee County, Iowa in 1835 from near Crab Orchard, Kentucky, she found the seeds in the pocket of an apron which was packed in a box. The family calls them "October beans" due to their late maturity and uses them as a dry bean. SSE Accession # 103194