Crop type: French Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Sprite’
Common name: Bean (dwarf French) ‘Sprite’
Crop slug: french-beans
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Sprite’ is a fast-maturing annual dwarf French bean with green foliage and white flowers. It produces a good crop of slim green beans about 14cm long. The pods are pencil-thin, tender and stringless, giving the cultivar a distinctly finer harvest than broader or heavier cylindrical varieties.
Compact, bushy plants need no tall support and suit containers as well as small beds. The RHS profile displays the Award of Garden Merit, recognising its quick growth, pod quality and dependable garden performance.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
The low bush is self-supporting when plants are grown fairly close together. Short twigs may lift pods from the ground, but a climbing frame would obscure the cultivar’s true compact habit.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Chalk, clay, loam or sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral or alkaline
‘Sprite’ accepts a broad range of soil textures and pH values. Fertile soil or compost with reliable moisture supports rapid growth and tender pencil-thin pods, while free drainage protects the root zone.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- East-, south- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed or sheltered
- Hardiness
- H2 — tolerant of low temperatures but unable to survive freezing
Grow as a tender annual after frost. Full sun encourages quick flowering and cropping, with the compact bush tolerating either exposed or sheltered garden positions.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
| Season | Flowers | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | — | Green | — |
| Summer | White | Green | Green |
At harvest, look for very slender 14cm green pods with a smooth unbulged surface. This fine pencil shape distinguishes ‘Sprite’ from the thicker dark-green beans of ‘Boston’.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy
- Name status
- Accepted
Genus
Phaseolus includes annual and perennial legumes with trifoliate leaves, often climbing or trailing but also bred into dwarf forms. The genus supplies edible French, runner and lima beans along with dried seed, feed, green manure and ornamental plants.
Safety
Raw pods and beans are harmful if eaten by people or dogs. Cook the harvest thoroughly before consumption. The RHS profile also advises protective equipment when handling where appropriate.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, moisture-retentive soil with good light. ‘Sprite’ suits patio containers and is best planted fairly close in wide bands or blocks so bushes support one another. Water from flowering onwards and pick the fine pods regularly while tender and stringless.
Propagation
Propagate by seed.
Suggested locations
- Cottage or informal garden
- Patio container
- Edible bed or allotment
Pruning
No pruning is required. Harvest without pulling hard on the compact stems.
Pests
May be susceptible to slugs, snails and blackfly. Protect seedlings and check soft new growth and leaf undersides for aphid colonies.
Diseases
May be susceptible to runner and French bean rust. Provide airflow through blocks and remove affected debris at the end of cropping.