# Bean (*Phaseolus vulgaris*)

Beans are seeds that grow into plants. They come in different colors like green, yellow, and red. People eat beans in soups, salads, and other yummy dishes.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Gardens
- **Also known as:** Green Bean, Legume, Snap Bean, String Bean

![Bean](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Heaps_of_beans.jpg&width=800)

Photo: GFDL 1.2 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heaps_of_beans.jpg)

## Appearance

The Bean has heart-shaped or oval green leaves and small, pea-like flowers that can be white, purple, or pink. Its most recognizable feature is the long, slender to plump seed pods, which house the edible beans inside and grow in clusters.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fabales
- **Family:** Fabaceae
- **Genus:** Phaseolus

## Interesting facts

- A single bean plant can produce hundreds of beans from its beautiful flowers!
- Beans are one of the oldest cultivated crops, eaten by humans for thousands of years!
- Some bean pods can explode when ripe, scattering seeds far away like tiny cannons!
- The world's longest bean pod ever recorded was over a meter long!

## Special abilities

- **Soil Supercharger:** Bean has tiny helpers in its roots that grab nitrogen from the air, turning it into food for itself and enriching the soil.
- **Sun Seeker Spirals:** Bean can grow long, twining vines that spiral upwards on supports, helping it climb high to reach more sunlight for energy.
- **Fast Food Factory:** Bean plants grow quickly and produce many pods in a short time, making them an efficient food source for many.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-300 cm
- **Spread:** 20-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Fixes nitrogen for the plant roots.
- **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers, helping them make beans.
- **Eaten by:** Tobacco hornworm (*Manduca sexta*) — Caterpillars munch on bean leaves.
- **Eaten by:** Two-spotted spider mite (*Tetranychus urticae*) — Tiny mites feed on bean plant sap.
- **Eaten by:** [Human](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — Humans cultivate and eat bean pods and seeds.

## Traits

- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.
- [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.

## Collections

- [Fruits & Vegetables](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fruits-and-vegetables)
- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Beans are safe to touch and eat when cooked, but never eat raw beans as they can make you sick.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Bean?

Compare leaves, stems, flowers, pods and the part you eat. Seedlings can look like unrelated garden plants until their mature leaves come in. Vegetable Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Bean?

30-300 cm

### How wide does Bean spread?

20-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Bean?

1-3 cm

### When does Bean bloom?

Summer

### Is Bean edible?

Yes

### Is Bean toxic?

Mild

### What is Bean's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Aquarium of the Americas](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/aquarium-of-the-americas) — Louisiana, US · Aquarium

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Bean: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bean)