BeansUpdated: April 26th, 2025
Created: September 19th, 2015Borlotti beans
The type I bought were very plump, almost an ovoid shape, I have just found them referred to as a type of kidney bean. bbc.co.uk/food/borlotti_bean
I had both a climbing and a dwarf variety but now only the climbing variety grows true to seed I bought, both types had pods that were about six inches long and more extreme in cross sectional dimensions than runner beans, definitely not round like French Beans
Year 2
The first change was a cross between a Dwarf Borlotti and some Red Kidney Beans I planted out.The resulting beans are magenta colour and elongated ovoid shaped.
Here is an image of the three, the new 'Magelotti', Borlotti, and Red Kidney.

Year 3
This produced what I thought were more variations on the Red Kidney Bean, being colour differences.
Year 4: 2015
Two significant changes:
1. More variety in colours of beans that have the kidney shape
2. A hybrid of Borlotti shaped and French Beans resulting in more elongated Borlotti beans.
3. The generation of Borlotti beans that are kidney shaped.
4. A cross that maybe Cobra variety of French Beans with climbing Borlotti that has produced a rod pod with large black seeds with a squarish shape
So now I have learnt that Borlotti are deemed Kidney Beans I will separate the beans into the following categories:
Climbing beans:
Runner Beans: Although I use them traditionally as green beans, I allow most to mature and dry and keep the seeds for winter. See page 1 for images of the beans
Borlotti Beans: Almost exclusively used to mature into beans for drying,
French Beans: Not the most prolific and eaten mostly as green beans, although this year, 2015 not so much
New hybrids: Kept for cultivation only. See he new squarish black bean
Dwarf Beans:
Kidney beans: i.e. Kidney shape
Borlotti beans: ovoid shape
Others: elongated but not kidney shaped