Fava bean (broad bean)

Sun

Full sun; light afternoon shade can help in warmer regions.

Water

Keep soil evenly moist, especially during flowering and pod development, but never waterlogged.

Soil

Well-drained, moisture-retentive loam or clay loam, ideally pH 6.5-7.5. Avoid strongly acidic soil.

Height

2-5 ft (0.6-1.5 m), depending on variety

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Spring to early summer, or winter to spring in mild climates; usually white flowers with dark purple-black blotches.

Foliage

Upright, stout stems carry broad, oval, grey-green leaflets; unlike peas, the plants have no climbing tendrils.

Growth

Fast in cool weather; slows in winter and stops cropping well in heat.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Low allergen
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.5 ft (0.15 m)

2. After 1 year

   3 ft (1.1 m)

   full size

Full size in one season.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Growth rate

Moderate

• Sow directly about 2 in (5 cm) deep and 6-8 in (15-20 cm) apart, with roughly 18-24 in (45-60 cm) between rows.
• Work mature compost into the bed before sowing; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding, which encourages leafy growth rather than pods.
• Water at soil level during dry spells, giving priority to flowering plants and swelling pods.
• Support taller varieties with stakes and horizontal strings before stems lean or lodge.
• Apply a light organic mulch once the soil has warmed, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Protect young plants from severe frost; autumn sow only winter-suitable varieties in mild, well-drained sites.

Pruning. Once the lowest pods have set, pinch out the soft growing tips to discourage black bean aphids. After the final harvest, cut healthy plants at soil level and leave the roots to decay.

Pick very young pods whole while they are tender and before the seeds swell noticeably. For shelled beans, pick plump, green pods when the seeds are well formed but still tender; frequent picking keeps quality high. For dry beans, let pods darken and dry, then shell and finish drying the seeds indoors before storage.

Late winter

In mild climates, sow as soon as the soil is workable and not waterlogged; use protection if severe frost is forecast.

Early spring

In cold-winter regions, direct-sow once the ground can be worked, rather than waiting for summer warmth.

Spring

Thin crowded seedlings, install supports and check shoot tips for aphids.

Late spring

Keep flowering plants watered and pinch out soft tips once the lowest pods have set.

Early summer

Harvest pods regularly before beans become tough; remove badly diseased plants.

Autumn

In mild-winter regions, including many Australian growing areas, sow suitable varieties for a cool-season crop; elsewhere clear finished plants and compost healthy tops.

• Plant in orderly double rows in a kitchen garden, with low lettuce or radishes along the edges.
• Use the upright grey-green foliage as a temporary backdrop to lower vegetables in a potager.
• Grow compact varieties in large containers beside a sunny patio or kitchen door.
• Use as an early cool-season crop in beds that will later hold warm-season vegetables.

Garden styles it suits: Potager (kitchen garden), Cottage garden, Edible landscape, Homestead, Farmhouse and Family-friendly.

Plant it with: Lettuce, Radish, Spinach, Calendula, Sweet alyssum and Dill.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar and pollen for bumblebees and other bees. Aphid colonies attract ladybirds, lacewings and hoverfly larvae; mice may dig up newly sown seeds.

• Black bean aphids cluster on soft tips: pinch out tips after the first pods set, wash off small colonies and encourage ladybirds and hoverflies.
• Chocolate spot causes reddish-brown leaf spots and stem damage, especially in damp, crowded crops: improve spacing, avoid wetting foliage and remove badly affected material.
• Broad bean rust produces orange-brown pustules on leaves: provide airflow, remove infected debris and rotate crops.
• Poor pod set often follows hot weather or drought: sow early enough to flower in cool conditions and water consistently during flowering.

The seeds and very young pods are human foods, usually eaten cooked. In people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, eating broad beans can cause favism, a potentially life-threatening breakdown of red blood cells; cooking does not reliably prevent this. Broad beans can also cause food allergy. Species-specific toxicity information for cats, dogs and horses is limited, so do not offer raw seeds, pods or foliage as pet food;

• Garden pea (Pisum sativum)

  Peas have tendrils and usually climb; broad beans have thick, upright stems, broad leaflets and no tendrils.

• Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

  Common beans have leaves divided into three pointed leaflets and need warmer growing conditions; broad beans have several oval leaflets arranged along each leaf.

• Runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus)

  Runner beans usually twine up supports, have three-part leaves and often red flowers; broad beans stand upright and usually have white flowers marked with dark blotches.

The species name faba is Latin for bean, while broad bean refers to the broad, flattened seeds.

Propagation. Grow from seed, usually sown directly into the final position in cool weather. In wet soils or where mice are troublesome, start seeds in deep modules and transplant while young; saved seed may cross with nearby varieties.

Accepted botanical name

Vicia faba

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Measured

Soil pH 7.5 to 8. Average height 78 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.