Crop type: Runner Beans
Phaseolus coccineus ‘White Lady’ AGM
Common name: Runner bean ‘White Lady’
Crop slug: runner-beans
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile and its linked crop guidance. Check the sources and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘White Lady’ is an award-winning climbing runner bean valued for heavy crops of thick, juicy green pods with good flavour and a stringless texture when picked young. Its pure white flowers distinguish it clearly from the many scarlet-flowered runner beans and provide nectar and pollen for visiting insects through summer and into early autumn.
Although botanically a perennial, it is normally grown as a frost-tender annual in the UK. The combination of attractive white bloom and productive edible pods makes it useful on an allotment support as well as in an ornamental kitchen garden.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 1.5–2.5 metres
- Ultimate spread
- 0.5–1 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1–2 years botanically; one growing season as a UK crop
- Habit
- Twining climber
Provide a firm support about 2.5m high before planting. Space plants 15–30cm apart along the support so their vigorous leafy growth is ventilated and the pods remain accessible for frequent picking.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Loam or sand enriched with organic matter
- Moisture
- Moisture-retentive but well drained
- Preferred pH
- Alkaline or neutral
Prepare the planting area with generous well-rotted compost or manure. Water thoroughly in dry weather, concentrating water around the roots rather than the foliage. A mulch after the soil has warmed helps preserve the steady moisture needed for flowers to set and pods to remain tender.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- South- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H2, tolerant of cool conditions but not frost
Plant outside only after frost risk has passed and the soil is warm. A sheltered position protects the tall support and improves pollinator activity. Harden indoor-raised plants gradually before setting them out in late May or early June.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
Green trifoliate leaves clothe the twining stems. White pea-like flowers appear through summer and early autumn, followed by a heavy crop of thick, smooth green pods. The pale flowers are the cultivar’s clearest visual feature and make a calm contrast against the deep foliage. Harvest pods young, before their seeds swell, to preserve the cultivar’s juicy, stringless eating quality.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Climbing
- Name status
- Accepted
- RHS recognition
- Award of Garden Merit and Plants for Pollinators
Genus
Phaseolus includes annual and perennial legumes, commonly climbing or trailing, with characteristic trifoliate leaves. Cultivated species supply edible pods and seeds and may also be grown for green manure, animal feed or ornamental flowers.
Safety
Raw runner bean pods and seeds are harmful if eaten. Cook them thoroughly before serving and prevent pets from consuming raw material. Wear suitable protection when handling if required.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Sow seeds 5cm deep indoors from mid-April or outside once the soil reaches about 12°C and frost has passed. Plant beside sturdy canes or netting in fertile, moisture-retentive soil. Guide young shoots onto the support, water frequently once flowering begins and apply a high-potassium feed fortnightly to container-grown plants. Pick 20–25cm pods every two or three days while they snap cleanly.
Propagation
Propagate from seed. Raise one plant per small pot in warmth, harden it off, and plant outside after the last frost. Outdoor seed needs protection from cold, wet soil and animal damage.
Suggested locations
- Allotment bean frame
- Kitchen or cottage garden
- Wildlife-friendly edible garden
- Sunny wall-side support
- Large patio container with a strong wigwam
Pruning
No formal pruning is required. Pinch out the growing tip when it reaches the top of its support, and remove spent plants after cropping. Roots may be left in the ground to break down after the tops are cut away.
Pests
Black bean aphids may colonise soft growth. Slugs and snails can seriously damage young plants, so protect seedlings and inspect them regularly.
Diseases
The profile records possible susceptibility to chocolate spot, downy mildew, foot and root rot and powdery mildew. Maintain drainage, spacing and crop rotation, and avoid leaving foliage wet overnight.