Hidatsa Shield Figure

Bean, Hidatsa Shield Figure Organic Pole habit, dry, 90 days. (Phaseolus vulgaris) The Hidatsa Shield Figure bean gets its name from the Hidatsa American Indians of the Missouri River Valley of North Dakota. As one of the most productive, prolific and beautiful dry shelling beans, it was widely planted throughout the Missouri River Valley region. Shield Figure beans are described in Buffalo Bird Woman’s Garden book by Gilbert L. Wilson (1908). Planted with the traditional sister crops, beans, corn, and squash, the Hidatsa Shield Figure bean well-supported this three-tiered crop system because of its natural inclination to climb poles and thus corn stalks. You can even direct-sow them into the ground near sunflowers to use as a natural trellis. Pale cream with a gold saddle, with beautiful shades of browns and whites, it is very distinctive as well as delicious. It is nearly double the size of black beans. It cooks up creamy and flavorful, a wonderful choice for a pole shelling bean. Use them in soups or as a substitute for anything where you’d use pinto or white beans. This very productive variety was boarded onto Slow Food USA's Ark of Taste in 2005.