Asparagus Beans

 The Longest Beans You’ve Ever Grown

🫘 Plant Talk:| by Guy Saldiveri | March 3, 2026

Asparagus beans—my all-time favorite crop. They're also called yard‑long beans and Chinese long beans. They have an edible pod and are technically a type of cowpea in the legume family.

Their long, slender pods taste very similar to regular green beans but with a slightly nutty flavor.

While they thrive in hot, humid southern climates, I've found that they do better in my area (Gulf South) if I keep them in partial shade or dappled sun. If left in full midsummer sun, they can suffer sun scorch and slow or stop production. They are very prolific from April until the first frost. This is one crop that benefits from picking—the more you harvest, the more they produce.

Seeds should be sown about a week after the last expected frost date. They will require a trellis for support as they are true vining plants and cannot stand on their own. A trellis around six feet tall has worked very well for me.

The pods, if left alone, will easily grow to 2–2½ ft. long, but they taste much better when harvested around 14 to 18 inches in length. That usually coincides with them having the thickness of a pencil.

The vine produces purple or white flowers, followed by a pair of fast-growing pods that develop on either side. The pods usually reach harvest length within a couple of days, so keep an eye on them—they grow fast. 

Pods left to grow too large can be set aside to dry. These dried beans can be used like normal dried beans in soups if you desire, or saved for planting the following year.

One of the more interesting things about legumes is their ability to fix nitrogen from the air. They require less fertilizer, and if you cut back the plants at the end of the season and leave the root, they will release the stored nitrogen as they break down. This enhances the soil for the next crop.

Common pests include aphids, glassy-winged sharpshooters, and leaf-footed bugs. Aphids are easiest to control and can easily be washed off with a steady stream of water from the hose. Sharpshooters and leaf-footed bugs can be more problematic since they suck sap from the pods and can cause them to shrivel. Since I've found no easy way to deter these pests, I generally ignore them and make sure I plant enough that they cannot cause me enough damage to worry about.

Fresh asparagus beans keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator if kept in an open Ziploc. If blanched, they can be stored for up to a year in a vacuum-sealed freezer bag.

One of the most productive beans you can grow!

Happy Gardening 🌱