Cherokee Wax Bush Bean

Phaseolus vulgaris

Also known as: Cherokee Wax Bean


A classic yellow wax bush bean with straight, stringless, butter-yellow pods 12–15cm long, held upright on sturdy bushes 30–50cm tall. The pods are tender and mild, and they keep their bright colour when lightly steamed, so they look good on a plate next to green beans. The yellow pods are easy to spot under the leaves, so fewer get missed at picking. It crops early and heavily and resists common bean mosaic and rust. Bush habit — no trellis needed.

Days to harvest 50–55 days from sowing
Fruit size Straight, slightly oval pods, 12–15cm long
Sowing depth 2.5cm
Germination 4–10 days at soil temperature 21–29°C. Germination is poor below 16°C.
Spacing 5–8cm between plants, rows 45–60cm apart
Aspect Full sun; light, free-draining soil
Frost tolerance Frost-tender — sow after the last frost

Growing notes

A warm, sunny spot suits it best. Bush beans crop over a shorter window than climbing beans, so sow every three to four weeks for a steady supply.

Soil preparation: Dig in well-rotted compost before sowing. Beans make their own nitrogen, so skip high-nitrogen fertiliser, which gives you leaves instead of pods.

Sowing method: Sow direct into warm, moist soil 2.5cm deep. Don’t water again until the seedlings are up, because seed rots in cold, wet ground.

Support: None needed. The upright bush holds its own weight.

Containers: A pot of 20L or more, or a long trough, works well. Keep the water steady, as pots dry out quickly in summer.

Watering & feeding: Water deeply and consistently at the base, especially once flowering starts. A dry spell at flowering makes the flowers drop and cuts the crop.

Harvest: Pick every two to three days once pods are bright yellow and snap cleanly, before the beans inside start to bulge. Regular picking keeps the bush flowering. Hold the stem while picking so you don’t pull the plant out of the ground.

Timing: First pods ready around 50–55 days from sowing.

Key features

  • Butter-yellow, stringless pods, 12–15cm long
  • Tender, mild flavour that keeps its colour when cooked
  • Early and heavy cropping
  • Easy to see and pick under the leaves
  • Resists bean mosaic virus and rust
  • A long-standing All-America Selections winner

Short season tips


Wait until the soil holds at least 16°C before sowing. In Coonabarabran and similar inland zones, that means mid-October onwards. Sow again every three to four weeks until early January for a continuous crop into autumn. Its quick cropping makes it a good late sowing.

  • Spring
  • Summer

Annual

  • Corn, cucumber, squash, carrots, marigold, nasturtium
  • Onions, garlic, leeks, chives, fennel


An American wax bean that won an All-America Selections award in the mid-twentieth century and has been a garden standard for more than seventy years. It was valued for early, heavy crops of stringless yellow pods on a compact, disease-resistant plant. Home gardeners have kept it going for the same reasons.