1# IMPROVED PURPLE QUEEN BEAN

Improved Purple Queen Bush Bean is a striking and productive purple‑podded bush snap bean, valued for both its appearance in the garden and its excellent eating quality.

Quick Overview

• Type: Bush bean (no support needed)

• Pod color: Deep purple (turns green when cooked)

• Pod length: ~5–6 inches

• Flavor: Rich, tender, stringless when young

• Use: Fresh eating, freezing (best), light canning

• Days to maturity: ~50–55 days

Why gardeners love it

• ✅ Beautiful dark‑purple pods—easy to see and harvest

• ✅ Improved tenderness over older purple varieties

• ✅ Compact plants (about 16–18 inches tall)

• ✅ Great flavor comparable to top green beans

Growing tips

• Planting time: After last frost; soil 60°F+

• Spacing:

  • Plants: 3–4 inches apart

  • Rows: 18–24 inches apart

• Sun: Full sun

• Water: Even moisture, especially during flowering

• Soil: Well‑drained; avoid excess nitrogen

Harvesting

• Pick pods while slender and glossy for best tenderness

• Harvest every 2–3 days to keep plants producing

• Pods lose color quickly if overmature

Kitchen notes

• Pods turn green when cooked (normal and expected)

• Excellent steamed, sautéed, or stir‑fried

• Freezes very well after blanching

• Color is most dramatic when eaten raw or lightly cooked