La Senorita's Haba Broad bean

[jayb]

This is a new to me variety, seeds were from Bakercreek. They have a very pretty two tone coloured seed and I've never grown anything like them before. The taste it meant to be very good, seed originally collected in the Sacred Valley Region by Patrick Simcox. Hoping to sow them next week.

[Galina]

Very pretty indeed! Only a few years ago nobody would have expected so much diversity in broad beans. Hope they will grow well for you Jayb.

[jayb]

Yes hopefully they will do well here.
I know, you spend much of your life thinking they are just green seeds with black and white pretty flowers and then you discover different flower colours and seed colours, then pattens and splodges, hangdowns - hangups. Gotta love them! I think coloured spirals next!

[ruud]

they look intresting,also a south- american variety.

[jayb]

Yes, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Valley

[Galina]

Broad beans originated in the 'old world', didn't they? And were presumably brought to South America by the Spanish/Portuguese? And not sooner than the 16th century and quite likely a century later than that. Either these unusual seed colours were in existence in Southern Europe (are they still?) or they have developed very rapidly indeed. I wonder whether our landrace broadies will show unusual seed coat colours in time. The flowers can have spectacular colours, like we have seen from your photos Jayb.

[jayb]

Yes, an old world crop. The only patterned beans I've come across are all New World selections, perhaps colour and patterns were more desirable, whereas Europe bred away from them. Very interesting to wonder at what genes maybe hidden underneath different varieties. The yellow seeded broadies I have are called 'Aztec' which sort of links them to the New World too. I think they are getting a bit mixed up as some are now yellowy and some a more striking yellow green.