Why would you intentionally plant something that has the word "runner" in its name?

D, regular varieties of runner beans like the cooler weather, about the time to plant peas, I tried most varieties because they are pretty but they don't like our hot weather and I had taken them out when I needed the trellis for pole beans which produce better in our weather. Few years ago, someone sent me the Insuk's variety and it is the only runner that do well in the heat but will not set if the temperatures are over 90. I still have them but don't remember if I planted them or not, so many seeds so little time.

About the perennial quality, I don't know of anyone doing that, but they do take the roots and over winter them in England like dahlia.

I grew this one year as a trial...

If you want to do some reading, this is a long thread...

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2012467/insuks-wang-kong-runner-bean

Ricky, I know, right? LOL I want something pretty that people will not realize is food, so they won't steal it. I have a long stockade fence that I can grow climbers on, so I figured it might be a good thing to try there.

Silvia, thanks for the info. I'm not that concerned with production, since it's just me, and I'm mostly growing it, like I told Ricky, as a camouflaged food plant. Still, can't hurt to plant a good-producing variety. I'll check that one out. Nobody bothered my pigeon peas, because they had no idea what they were. They also didn't bother my tropical leaf veggies. If I plant anything recognizable on the outside of the courtyard, it will be stolen.

"Runner" beans are just a cool season equivalent of pole beans. Both twine/climb and a need a good support system and other than flower color and the preference of one species over the other for warmer weather (pole beans), I'm not sure anyone would easily tell them apart. And the beans themselves are just as delicious as any other dry storage type pole bean, like kidney, pinto or navy beans.

Runner beans tend to peter out in hot weather and can die back to the ground but the root system is perennial. Pole beans (and bush beans) are not. And the flowers of scarlet runners are very attractive to hummingbirds.

Gardengal, that makes sense. The person who told me they are perennial said they are closely related to Kudzu, which would explain the perennial nature. I used to eat kudzu leaves and flowers. They're really quite good fried up as fritters, and it was abundant and free in SC where I lived.

They are related but not that closely (only as far as sub-family). And thankfully, scarlet runners do not have that take-over-the-planet mentality of kudzu!!

Isn't kudzu evergreen? (Thankfully, it hasn't yet made it to the west coast!! But then we have ivy :-))

No, kudzu is not evergreen. It dies back in the winter where I come from (SC). Don't know about FL. Might be evergreen here.

I looked it up and Kudzu and Scarlett Runner bean are in the same tribe (Phaseoleae), one step down from sub-family, so more closely related than sub-family (Faboideae). I love plant classification. ETA: Pigeon pea and soybeans are also in that tribe.

Tribes - I forgot about those :-) They are not as common in the plant world, usually only with the larger families. Which makes perfect sense with the Fabiaceae!