1500 Year Old Cave (Anasazi), Heirloom Dry Pole Bean Seeds — The Bean Allegedly Carbon-Dated to 1,500 Years Old
Also known as the Anasazi Bean or Gila River Bean, legend holds that archaeologists discovered this bean inside a pitch-sealed clay pot in a cave in New Mexico — and carbon dating revealed it to be 1,500 years old. Whether or not the story is entirely true, this is a genuinely remarkable bean: large, kidney-shaped, white with maroon mottling, with a sweet, creamy flavor like a Pinto Bean and a smooth texture. It cooks more rapidly than modern dry beans, contains fewer gas-producing compounds than most beans, and is a nitrogen fixer in the garden. Long vines climb to 10 feet and produce tasty pods. A scarce collector’s bean. 55 days to green beans, 90 days to dry beans.
Why Grow 1500 Year Old Cave?
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Legendary provenance — allegedly carbon-dated to 1,500 years old
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Fewer gas-producing compounds than most beans — easier to digest
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Cooks more rapidly than modern dry beans — practical and efficient
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Sweet, creamy Pinto-like flavor — smooth texture
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Nitrogen fixer — improves soil health
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10-foot vines — vigorous and productive
Growing Notes
Direct sow outdoors after last frost when soil has warmed to at least 60°F. Provide a trellis or support for 10-foot vines. Sow seeds 1 inch deep, 4–6 inches apart. Water consistently. Harvest at 55 days for green beans, or allow to fully dry at 90 days for dry beans.
Days to maturity: 55 days (green), 90 days (dry)
Packet size: ~25, 50, or 100 seeds
Type: Heirloom, Open-Pollinated, Dry Pole Bean
Vine height: Up to 10 feet
Sun: Full sun
USDA Zones: 3–12
