Spanish Tolosana Bush Bean "Prince Bean" (Phaseolus vulgaris) Seeds – Heirloom Dry Shell Bean, Cinnamon & Purple Mottled, Mild Creamy Flavor, 85 Days

Minimum: 20+ Seeds

The "Prince Bean" in Cinnamon and Purple

Some heirloom beans earn a royal nickname, and this one wears it well. Spanish Tolosana, called the Prince Bean, is a compact bush bean with plump seeds mottled in warm cinnamon and deep purple, finished by a mild, creamy flavor that makes it a joy to cook. It takes its name from Tolosa, a town in Spain's Basque Country famous for its bean tradition, and at just 85 days to maturity, it's one of the quicker dry shell beans to bring to harvest, perfect for gardeners with a shorter season.

Who Grows Spanish Tolosana Bush Bean?
The heirloom gardener wanting an authentic Spanish variety with beautiful seed patterning.
The home cook wanting a mild, creamy bean for soups, stews, and slow-cooked dishes.
The short-season gardener wanting a dry bean that matures in about 85 days.
The small-space gardener wanting a compact bush bean that needs no trellis.

What This Spanish Heirloom Bean Actually Is
Phaseolus vulgaris 'Spanish Tolosana', known as the Prince Bean, is an heirloom bush bean grown for its dry or shelled seeds, which are plump and mottled in cinnamon and purple. Plants are compact and upright, requiring no support, and mature in about 85 days, faster than many dry beans. Cooked, the seeds have a mild, creamy flavor and a smooth texture that suits soups, stews, and simple preparations with olive oil. The name points to Tolosa, in Spain's Basque Country, a region long known for its beans. Seeds can be eaten fresh as shell beans or dried for storage. As an open-pollinated heirloom, it breeds true from saved seed. Grown as a warm-season annual, not frost-hardy.

In the Garden & Kitchen

• Soups and stews: Simmer dried beans into creamy soups and slow-cooked stews.
• Spanish-style bean dishes: Cook with olive oil, garlic, and smoked paprika for a rustic pot of beans.
• Fresh shell beans: Shell mature but still-soft seeds for a tender, quick-cooking bean.
• Dried beans: Dry and store the mottled seeds for a beautiful, long-keeping pantry staple.
• Small-space gardening: Grow compact bush plants in beds, rows, or large containers.
• Seed saving: Save mature, dried seed from open-pollinated plants to grow the same variety year after year.

Growing Spanish Tolosana 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: Ready for dry beans in about 85 days from seeding.
• Harvest, fresh: Pick pods when seeds are plump but still soft, then shell for fresh beans.
• Harvest, dry: 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.

Before You Close This Page
This is the bean with a royal nickname and a practical streak, mottled cinnamon and purple seeds on compact bush plants that finish in about 85 days. Spanish Tolosana Bush Bean cooks up mild and creamy, suits slow-cooked dishes from soups to stews, and is open-pollinated and easy to save seed from. Plant it after the last frost, give it sun and steady water, and let the pods fill. Grow the bean fit for a prince.