Crop type: Runner Beans
Phaseolus coccineus ‘Moonlight’ PBR AGM
Common name: Runner bean ‘Moonlight’
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
‘Moonlight’ is an award-winning runner and French bean cross with Plant Breeders’ Rights. White flowers develop into long, smooth, stringless green runner beans. It is reliable in poorer weather and extends cropping both earlier and later in the season, giving a dependable alternative to conventional scarlet-flowered runners.
The vigorous twining climber reaches about 3m in one year. It is grown as a frost-tender summer annual in the UK despite the perennial potential of the species in warmer climates.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 2.5–4 metres
- Ultimate spread
- 1–1.5 metres
- Time to ultimate size
- One year
- Habit
- Twining climber
Put a sturdy support about 2.5m high in place before planting. Space plants 15–30cm apart and leave easy access for picking the long hanging beans throughout their extended season.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Chalk, clay, loam or sand improved with organic matter
- Moisture
- Moist but well drained
- Preferred pH
- Acid, alkaline or neutral, ideally close to neutral
Enrich the bed with well-rotted compost or manure. Maintain steady root moisture from first flowering through harvest and mulch warm soil. Reliable poor-weather performance does not remove the need for water while pods are developing.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- East-, south- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H2, tolerant of low temperatures but not freezing
Plant outside after the final frost once the soil is warm, hardening seedlings gradually. A sheltered site protects the tall frame and helps its white flowers remain productive through changeable conditions.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
Green trifoliate leaves clothe the tall vine. White pea-like flowers appear in summer, followed by long, smooth green beans that remain stringless when picked young. The white bloom, slender pod shape and sustained early-to-late setting distinguish ‘Moonlight’ from red-flowered traditional cultivars.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Climbing
- Name status
- Accepted
- Recognition
- Plant Breeders’ Rights, Award of Garden Merit and Plants for Pollinators
Genus
Phaseolus consists of annual and perennial legumes, usually climbing or trailing and bearing trifoliate foliage. Cultivated forms supply edible pods and seeds and may also be used ornamentally, for animal feed or as green manure.
Safety
Raw pods and beans are harmful if eaten. Cook them thoroughly before serving, prevent pets consuming raw material and use suitable protection when handling if required.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Sow seeds 5cm deep indoors from mid-April or outside after frost when soil is at least 12°C. Plant beside a strong cane or net support in rich moisture-retentive ground. Guide shoots onto the frame, pinch the top when it reaches full height, water frequently during flowering and pod swelling, and feed container plants fortnightly with a high-potassium fertiliser from first bloom.
Harvest 20–25cm stringless pods every two or three days while they snap cleanly and seeds remain small. Continued picking is especially worthwhile because the cultivar can crop earlier and later in poorer weather.
Propagation
Propagate from seed. Raise one plant per small pot, harden it off and plant outside in late May or early June. Protect direct sowings from cold, excess wet, birds and molluscs.
Suggested locations
- Allotment bean frame
- Productive kitchen garden
- Cottage or informal garden
- Wildlife-friendly edible border
- Sunny sheltered wall support
Pruning
No formal pruning is required. Pinch the main shoot at the top of the support and remove spent vines after the final crop.
Pests
Slugs and snails can damage seedlings, while blackfly may attack soft growth. Protect new plants and monitor shoot tips.
Diseases
May be susceptible to runner and French bean rust. Provide airflow, rotate bean crops and avoid leaving foliage wet overnight.