French bean
Phaseolus vulgaris
Also called Dwarf bean, Green bean and Haricot
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitPick every other day once it starts. A pod left to swell tells the plant its work is done.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 2 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun
- Feed
- Once a fortnight
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Tender — no frost at all RHS H2, to 1°C
- Size
- 3.25 m tall · 0.75 m across
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Origin
- Central and South America
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleHarmful if eaten
Raw pods and raw beans (phytohaemagglutinin). Safe to eat: pods and beans, cooked.
Checked against ASPCA, RHS and Clemson HGIC on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A dense matt-black crust on the growing tip and the youngest flower stalks, and ants running up and down the stem, before any pod has set.Black bean aphid · pest
- Seedlings clipped clean off at soil level overnight, leaving a stub and a silver trail on the soil beside it.Slugs and snails · pest
- Open flowers dropping from the stalk without a pod behind them in a hot dry spell — the roots are dry and the pollen has failed.Flower drop · disorder