Calypso Bush Bean "Yin Yang" (Phaseolus vulgaris) Seeds – Striking Black & White Dry Bean, Very Productive, Great for Soups & Baked Beans

Minimum: 20+ Seeds

The Black-and-White "Yin Yang" Dry Bean

Open a jar of Calypso beans and you'll see why they get called Yin Yang. Each plump seed is split into bold patches of black and white, a swirl of contrast that looks hand-painted and makes this one of the most photographed dry beans in the garden. It's also a hardworking one, a very productive bush bean that fills a jar quickly, cooks up mild and creamy, and does everything a good dry bean should in soups, stews, and slow-baked dishes.

Who Grows Calypso Bush Bean?
The dry bean grower wanting a productive, handsome bean for the winter pantry.
The home cook wanting a mild, creamy bean for soups, chili, and baked beans.
The small-space gardener wanting a compact bush bean that needs no trellis.
The seed saver wanting an easy, self-pollinating bean to keep going.

What This Striking Dry Bean Actually Is
Phaseolus vulgaris 'Calypso', often called Yin Yang, is a bush-type dry bean with plump seeds marked in bold patches of black and white. Plants are compact and upright, typically 18 to 24 inches tall, requiring no staking and well suited to garden beds and containers. Pods are allowed to mature and dry on the plant, then shelled for dry beans that store well for a year or more. Cooked, the beans have a mild, creamy flavor and a smooth texture that suits soups, stews, and baked beans. Beans are self-pollinating, which makes saving seed simple. Grown as a warm-season annual, not frost-hardy.

In the Garden & Kitchen

• Soups and stews: Simmer dried beans into hearty soups, chili, and stews.
• Baked beans: Slow-bake with onion and seasonings for a classic dish.
• Fresh shell beans: Shell mature, still-soft seeds for a quick-cooking fresh bean.
• Pantry storage: Dry and store beans in jars for a handsome, long-keeping supply.
• Kitchen display: Show off the black-and-white seeds in clear jars.
• Seed saving: Save mature, dried seed to grow the same variety year after year.

Growing Calypso Bush Bean Seeds

• Start method: Direct sow outdoors after last frost; beans generally dislike transplanting.
• Germination: Sprouts in 7 to 10 days in warm soil.
• Soil temperature: Germinates best between 65 and 85°F.
• Spacing: Space seeds 2 to 4 inches apart in rows 18 to 24 inches apart.
• Sunlight: Full sun.
• Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil supports the strongest growth and heaviest yield.
• Watering: Consistent, even moisture, especially during flowering and pod development.
• Days to maturity: Typically ready for dry beans in roughly 90 to 100 days from seeding.
• Harvest: Let pods dry on the plant until brittle, then shell the beans.
• Drying: Finish drying shelled beans in a warm, airy spot before storing.
• Cooking safety: Never eat dry beans raw or undercooked; boil thoroughly for at least 10 minutes first.
• Hardiness: Grown as a warm-season annual; killed by frost.

Before You Close This Page
This is the dry bean that earns a spot twice, once for how it looks in the jar and once for how it eats in the pot. Calypso Bush Bean is very productive on compact plants, with bold black-and-white seeds that cook up mild and creamy. Plant it after the last frost, let the pods dry on the plant, and shell it for winter. Grow the bean that balances black and white and fills the pantry.