Phaseolus vulgaris
Origin: Shackamaxon (Philadelphia)
Improvement status: Cultivar
Seeds per packet: ~15
Germination tested 12/2024: 90%
Life cycle: Annual
Popularized by Dr. William Woys Weaver, these beans are also known as "Treaty Beans," though they may or may not have been involved in the famous treaty agreed to at Shackamaxon with the exchange of Wampum belts and other items. Nevertheless, oral tradition in the Philadelphia region holds that these beans were gifted to William Penn in 1682 by Lenape leaders with whom he negotiated the treaty (unbroken until his no-good sons orchestrated the treacherous "Walking Purchase" in 1737) beneath the arching boughs of the legendary "Treaty Elm" at a site along the Delaware River in what is now the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia, but was then the Lenape community called Shackamaxon. The beans were then passed down through Penn's family and maintained by other local Quaker families, most notably the Larkin family of Chester County, Pennsylvania (according to Dr. Weaver). [See attached photos for an illustration of the Treaty Elm and a photo of the actual wampum belt given by the Lenape to Penn in 1682 (taken years ago at the now-closed Atwater Kent Philadelphia History Museum).]
There's some dispute about whether or not this variety is distinct from the similar 'Blue Shackamaxon'. Both beans are blue-purple before ripening, and shiny black once dry. The slender pods ripen to maroon red on vines that can reach upwards of 8 feet long. This is an excellent pole bean for growing in a traditional "Three Sisters"-style polyculture, because they are not super heavy and don't have a ton of leaves, so they won't damage the corn plants on which they rely for support.
These beans were grown in Kingston, NJ, by our dear friend Nagisa Manabe, development director of the Ramapough Culture and Land Foundation and a stalwart champion for indigenous communities in the Delaware Valley. 25% of the packet price of every packet sold will be donated to the Ramapough Culture and Land Foundation to support their important work.
GROWING TIPS: Direct sow one inch deep once soil begins to warm in the spring. Provide a sturdy trellis or plant with corn, sorghum, sunflowers, or some other tall and strong plant.
