Cherokee Trail of Tears Bean

The Cherokee Trail of Tears bean memorializes the forced relocation of the Cherokee Indians in the mid-nineteenth century. They carried this bean throughout this infamous walk, which became the death march for thousands of Cherokees; hence the Trail of Tears.’

In the face of its poignantly dismal history, the shiny, jet-black seeds are used with pride in many traditional American Indian dishes. The seeds are encased in six-inch, greenish-purple pods. These small attractive beans are dried before consumed, and have a delicious rich flavor.

Long White Greasy Pole Bean

They are called greasy (greazy) because they are hairless (no fuzz) and look shiny.
An historic bean. Greasy beans have been eaten in the southern Appalachians since Europeans first came to the mountains.

Pods are 4-6 inches long. You can eat the pods. They do have strings so need to be “unzipped” before eating. Locals like to dry them into “leather britches”. Leather britches are made by threading a thin string through the pods with many pods on one string. Then hanging the string to dry the beans.

Lazy Housewife Pole Bean

The Lazy Housewife Pole Bean is completely stringless.

First listed in W. Atlee Burpee’s 1888 catalog, “We presume it derives its name, which seems discourteous, from its immense productiveness making it easy to gather…” Brought to America by German immigrants, these beans were so named because they were the first beans to not require destringing!

Can be used as a shell bean as well, and has a superb flavor. Plants bear continuously until frost. One of the oldest documented beans. Very old and very productive. 75-80 days to snap stage. (Snap, Shelly and Dry Bean)