Cherokee Trail of Tears Bean

Phaseolus vulgaris

Days to Maturity: 65-80

Cherokee Trail of Tears Beans have lovely, 6" purple & green pods encasing glossy black beans. A wonderfully versatile variety for eating fresh, cooked, freezing and canning. Pole beans enjoy climbing cornstalks or a trellis and reach up to 6 feet tall.

Cherokee people carried these beans on the Trail of Tears of 1838-39, a forced winter death march from their ancestral homeland in the Smoky Mountains--where gold was discovered--to Oklahoma. An estimated 4000 Cherokee people out of the 15,000 on the march were killed.

This variety was introduced to the public through Seed Savers Exchange in 1977, who received them from the late gardener, seed saver & dentist Dr. John Wyche of Hugo, Oklahoma. His Cherokee ancestors carried them on the Trail of Tears.

Help us proliferate this culturally important and delicious variety.

Planting Instructions: Sow Cherokee Trail of Tears Bean seeds directly in the ground 2" deep, 3" apart in spring after all danger of frost has passed. Keep moist until germinated. Provide trellis for them to climb.

Seed Saving Instructions: Allow Cherokee Trail of Tears Bean pods to fully dry on the vine. Pick dried pods into a bin and crush to dislodge beans. Store beans in a paper or mesh bag to ensure they dry fully and remain dry.

Approx 30 Cherokee Trail of Tears Beans seeds per packet