Fire Beans

Pole bean. White flowers. Slightly curved, green pods become yellow as they mature. Pods have a long beak and are slightly constricted around the seeds. Snap beans are tender and have a weak suture string. Mature pods average 5.1" long by 0.6" wide. Shelling beans have a pleasant, unique flavor and firm texture. Leathery podded dry pods commonly contain 4-5 seeds per pod. White seeds are very flat and shaped like a lima bean. Dry beans have a sweet flavor and smooth texture. Mid-season maturing. This family heirloom bean was stewarded by the late Mildred (Lindermann) Liken of Sebewaing, Michigan. Mildred's great-grandmother Winter brought the seed with her when she immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1849. Mildred was an avid gardener and canned much of the produce she grew. She particularly enjoyed growing pole beans. Her son Fred, remembers as a kid collecting straight maple saplings for her to construct 6-8' tall teepee-style supports for the beans. Mildred used this variety as a snap bean, which she seasoned with butter and summer savory. Mildred donated seeds of this variety to SSE in 2006. SSE Accession # 129187