Phaseolus vulgaris.
One of the oldest yellow bush beans still in commercial cultivation — introduced around 1900 and long considered the absolute reference among wax beans. The name describes the variety perfectly: Pencil Pod for the straight, slim shape of the pods, resembling golden yellow pencils; Black for the seeds, a deep glossy black that contrasts spectacularly with the pod colour. The English term wax bean, which designates all beans with yellow pods, comes from the lightly waxy, lustrous look of those pods, as if passed through beeswax.
A variety that has accompanied generations of North American and Québec gardeners, particularly dear to late-summer cooking where it completes the green / yellow / purple bean trilogy — a classic trio of the family vegetable garden already partially described in our pages with the Blue Lake (green) and Royal Burgundy (purple) varieties.
Compact dwarf plant 40 to 50 cm tall, well-held and productive, needing no staking. Perfectly straight, smooth pods 13 to 15 cm long, of intense butter yellow, stringless even at full maturity. Particularly mild, buttery flavour — hence the other French name haricot beurre ("butter bean") — with tender, juicy flesh clearly distinct from that of more classic green beans. Excellent steamed or in salted boiling water, simply tossed in butter and fine herbs, in a warm salad with olive oil and French shallot vinaigrette, pickled in vinegar for summer-marinade jars (a great classic of rural Québec kitchens), or in a mix in the traditional American three-bean salad.
Grower's tip: Bush bean, so direct sowing only (beans hate transplanting), once the soil is well warmed to 15 °C minimum — in Québec, late May to early June depending on the region. Sow in 3 cm-deep lines, spacing the seeds 8 to 10 cm apart. For a continuous harvest, do staggered sowings every 2 to 3 weeks through late July. Harvest regularly while the pods are still young and slim (before the seeds develop inside) — this frequent harvest stimulates production, which can then stretch over 3 to 4 weeks per plant. Like all beans, it's a legume that fixes atmospheric nitrogen thanks to its symbiotic root bacteria — an excellent soil-enriching plant, to include in crop rotation.
- Open-pollinated. Heirloom variety pre-1900. Largely self-fertile — very few crossings to fear with other Phaseolus vulgaris varieties, which makes it an excellent candidate for amateur seed saving.
- Height: 40 to 50 cm. Dwarf plant, no staking required.
- Maturity: 50 to 55 days.
- Exposure: full sun.
- Well-drained, moderately rich soil. Don't over-fertilize with nitrogen (or you'll get lots of foliage and few pods). Space 8-10 cm apart in the row, 50-60 cm between rows.
- Direct-sow late May to early June once the soil is at 15 °C. Staggered sowings possible through late July for a continuous harvest.
