Calima Garden Bean Seeds

Days to Maturity: 50 to 55

Calima is a filet-type snap green bean from France that's almost impossible to find outside of Europe. Early maturing, the plant sets clusters of pea-shaped buds that blossom into small flowers, followed by very straight and plump dark green pods—about 7 to 8 inches long—with unique, tender, coffee-colored seeds and excellent flavor. Good for fresh eating or canning.

A Phaseolus vulgaris variety, commonly called bush bean and bunch beans, Calima is a member of the Fabaceae family. Calima, an herbaceous tender annual, grows in a low, compact, self-supporting bush that stands erect, suitable for containers. For a continual, season-long harvest, succession plant every two weeks until about midsummer. Calima is an open-pollinated variety that produces seed that grows true to variety, ideal for seed saving.

Calima is easy to grow and virtually trouble free. The shallow-rooted plant grows best in a sunny site with moist, fertile, organically rich, freely draining soil. Calima has good disease resistance. Like all legumes, Calima is a nitrogen-fixer in the soil. After the final harvest, chop up the plant and work it back into the soil. You will be delighted with what it does for the quality of your soil next season.

Grow your best garden beans yet with tips from our Know Before You Grow page, packed with expert gardening advice. Don't forget to explore our recommended Apps to Help You Grow and Answer Gardening Questions for added support throughout your garden beans-growing journey.