40 seeds 110004 £2.75 Delivery early May
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When in stock, please allow up to 5 working days for despatch.
5 seedlings 510412-5 £5.50 Delivery mid April
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When in stock, please allow up to 4-6 weeks for despatch. For bare root roses, fruit & veg bare roots & crowns, potatoes & garlic, please allow up to 2 weeks for despatch.
10 seedlings 510412-10 £9.95 Delivery mid April
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When in stock, please allow up to 4-6 weeks for despatch. For bare root roses, fruit & veg bare roots & crowns, potatoes & garlic, please allow up to 2 weeks for despatch.

Or buy this as part of our Pea and Bean Collection.

More Details

Stringless, tasty and tender. Just one sowing of this will give you plenty of beans for weeks at a stretch, or do two sowings (one early, one late) for picking in summer and autumn. The scarlet flowers are delicious too.

These are perfect planted on a teepee with your favourite scented sweet pea mix – as this will attract beneficial pollinators.

Please note, illustrated packets are being introduced gradually over the coming months, availability may vary.

Genus Phaseolus coccineus
Group/Species coccineus
Variety Polestar
Type Edible Crop
Common Name Runner Bean
Border Position Kitchen Garden
Soil Type Broad Tolerance
Site Full Sun
Moisture Moist but Well-drained
Height 2.1m (7ft)
Spacing 30cm (12in)
Sowing, Seeds, Planting Sow from April, one seed to its own pot or module (ideally Rootrainers), under cover. Once the plants are at least 5cm (2in) tall, plant them out. You can also sow direct into the garden May-July, not before, as they will be killed by the frost.
Care Tips Will grow best in a sunny position with fertile, well-dug soil that has had plenty of organic matter added. Support with canes or bean poles, position one plant at the base of each support. Water well during dry weather and apply a mulch to help keep soil moist.
Flowering July - October
Storing These freeze well.
Harvesting July - October. Crop in 14-16 weeks. Best picked little and often. Will continue producing until the first frosts.
Cooking Notes These are delightful eaten very small. Prepare by removing the sides with a sharp knife and cut across in 2cm strips and cooked. Enjoy the edible flowers in salads or as a garnish.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Sow Under Cover/Plant Indoors
  • Direct Sow/Plant Outdoors
  • Flowers/Harvest
Advice & Videos
How to Sow Sweet Peas

Sarah shows you how to sow your sweet pea seeds into rootrainers for strong, healthy plants.

Autumn in the Vegetable Garden

It's a fantastic time of year in the kitchen garden and down at the allotment.

Allotment Open Day

Perhaps a little bit nosy but there's something really exciting about checking out other people's plots, marvelling at their runner beans twining up...

Gardening at home with Sarah | Top Seed Sowing Systems at Perch Hill

Sarah discusses the top seed sowing systems used at Perch Hill.

Green Thai autumn vegetable curry recipe

The flavour of this is fantastic, with the curry paste freshly made and the veg all roasted before it's dressed in its sauce for extra flavour.

Runner bean flower salad recipe

Runner bean flowers are delicious in a salad - adding a bean flavour, as well as beautiful colour and texture.

Direct sowing seeds

Learn how to get great results when direct sowing hardy annual seeds.

Growing and eating runner bean flowers

Sarah shows you how runner beans are grown with sweet peas at Perch Hill.

Related Videos
Delivery

Plant Delivery - When in stock, please allow up to 4-6 weeks for despatch. For bare root roses, fruit & veg bare roots & crowns, potatoes & garlic, please allow up to 2 weeks for despatch.

Seeds Delivery - When in stock, please allow up to 5 working days for despatch.

Click here to find out more information about our delivery rates and times.

Runner Bean 'Polestar' reviews

* * * * - Average based on 15 reviews

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Reviewed 20th April 2020 by Diana

Good strong seedlings well packaged

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Reviewed 15th August 2019 by J Marsh

* * - - -

Reviewed 8th August 2019 by Marion

Seeds grow well but plants did not even though I nurtured them, I had to buy plants from a local garden centre to have any good beans.

* * * * -

Reviewed 6th August 2019 by Margaret

these have provided a good quality of beans despite the lack of rain

* - - - -

Reviewed 5th August 2019 by Mrs Dyson

Only one came up after seeding 20

* - - - -

Reviewed 2nd August 2019 by Miss Taylor

Service and purchase were as expected.
Beans grew but did not develop well and stalled. I grubbed them out eventually when they and I gave up.

* * - - -

Reviewed 31st July 2019 by Valerie

Have not done very well but this is probably due to the position and the weather

* * - - -

Reviewed 31st July 2019 by Jennifer

Service and purchase arrangements fine. Bean crop not very good this year and two of the plants died.

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Reviewed 31st July 2019 by Claire

* * * * *

Reviewed 7th November 2018 by Vivien

I was particularly pleased that these survived and flourished well into autumn. They were sent out rather early and despite careful handling reached a height that meant they had to be planted out before I would have wanted to. A later despatch date would have made the season less nerve-racking!

* * * * *

Reviewed 11th October 2018 by Elizabeth

The runner beans grew extremely well despite the drought and cropped really heavily. We had more than we could eat and plenty to give away. Picked on the young side, they were also a very tender, tasty variety with almost no strings to remove.

* * - - -

Reviewed 19th September 2018 by Mary

not a favourite, good crop but found to be not so good texture/flavour

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Reviewed 19th September 2018 by Belinda
Delicious and easy to grow

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Reviewed 17th September 2018 by Sharon

As a completely new vegetable grower and allotment holder, these were the beans that I picked out at Sarah Raven seeds to grow. I watched Monty Don plant his bean seeds and I did exactly the same, planting two seeds next to the bamboo wigwam. Within a few weeks they came up. I've been picking ever since. So easy to grow, no disease, just delightful tasting beans. I haven't tried eating the flowers but I believe they are also edible too. Perhaps beginner's luck, but I am very pleased with this variety which is tender when cooked. I like to cook mine for a few minutes in water with a garlic clove. I am definitely buying this particular bean again because they are easy to grow and delicious to eat. I did find if you leave the beans to grow too large, they become stringy, but I prefer them around 10cm long, when they are still tender.

Super runner beans

* * * * *

Reviewed 20th August 2017 by susan albon

These beans are very easy to grow and taste wonderful. Thankyou.

P.S. I do try to use Sarah Raven seeds,as they are such good quality,however please provide more perennial seed choices.... i've grown most of them !!!

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