Description
Bean Dragon Tongue Beautiful Bush Bean for Alaska
Dragon Tongue Bean is one of those vegetables that is just as beautiful in the garden as it is useful in the kitchen.
The broad, flattened pods are creamy yellow with vivid purple streaking and speckles, making them one of the most distinctive beans we grow. Despite the dramatic appearance, the flavor is mild, tender, and slightly sweet.
Dragon Tongue is a bush bean, so it does not require a tall trellis and works well in raised beds, traditional garden rows, and smaller growing spaces. Plants are compact, productive, and typically begin producing in about 55–60 days.
This variety is especially versatile because it can be harvested at several different stages.
When picked young, Dragon Tongue is excellent as a fresh snap bean. The pods are crisp, juicy, and tender enough to eat whole. As the beans mature, they can also be shelled and used as fresh beans, or left to fully dry for use as a dry bean.
One important thing to know: the beautiful purple markings fade when the pods are cooked. If you want to enjoy their striking color, eat them fresh or use them raw in salads and vegetable trays.
Dragon Tongue is an open-pollinated variety and is a wonderful choice for gardeners who want a productive bean that is also unique enough to be memorable.
Scientific Name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Days to Maturity: Approximately 55–60 days
Growth Habit: Bush bean
Pod Color: Creamy yellow with purple streaking
Sun: Full sun
Uses: Fresh snap bean, fresh shell bean, dry bean
Best For: Raised beds, traditional gardens, small spaces, fresh eating, and gardeners looking for unusual heirloom vegetables
Planting Instructions
Beans are warm-season plants and should be planted after the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed.
Direct sow Dragon Tongue beans approximately 1 inch deep and 3–4 inches apart.
Rows can be spaced approximately 18–24 inches apart.
Beans generally do not transplant as well as many other vegetables, so direct sowing is preferred whenever the growing season allows. In especially short-season or cool locations, growers may choose to start plants carefully indoors, but avoid disturbing the roots when transplanting.
For Alaska gardens, planting into warm soil is important. Cold, wet soil can cause bean seed to rot before it germinates.
Growing Instructions
Plant Dragon Tongue in full sun and well-drained soil.
Beans grow best with consistent moisture, especially once flowering and pod development begin. Avoid allowing plants to repeatedly dry out completely, but also avoid keeping the soil saturated.
Because Dragon Tongue is a bush bean, it generally does not require trellising. A light support can be helpful if plants become heavily loaded with pods or if your garden is exposed to strong wind.
Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer. Too much nitrogen can produce large, leafy plants while reducing flower and bean production.
Begin harvesting when pods are young, tender, and before the seeds inside become overly developed if you want to use them as snap beans.
Frequent harvesting encourages plants to continue producing.
If you want fresh shell beans, allow the pods to mature longer until the seeds inside are plump.
For dry beans or seed saving, allow pods to mature and dry fully on the plant whenever weather permits. If wet fall weather arrives before the pods are completely dry, mature pods can be harvested and finished drying indoors in a warm, well-ventilated location.
Why Grow Dragon Tongue?
Dragon Tongue earns its space in the garden because it does more than one job.
You can harvest it early as a tender snap bean, let it mature into a fresh shell bean, or allow it to dry for storage.
And while it is doing all of that, it happens to be one of the prettiest beans in the garden.
For gardeners who want something productive, useful, and just a little different, Dragon Tongue is an easy variety to love.
Register for garden classes: https://seedsandsoilorganics.com/product-category/alaska-gardening-classes-growing-guides/
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