Vegetable · Fabaceae
Fava Bean
Vicia faba
Drop them into cold spring soil, offer sun and steady water, and these forgiving broad beans will reward you with an early crop while the air is still cool.
Full sun
Every 5–7 days
75–90 days
USDA 3–8
Overview
If you are new to growing your own food, fava beans are a kind place to begin. They are one of humanity's oldest crops, a cool-season legume that handles cold better than almost any other vegetable you might try. The plants grow tall and upright on a sturdy, squarish stem, carrying their flowers and plump pods close to a frame that holds itself up. You may also hear them called broad beans, a fitting name for the wide, flat seeds resting inside each soft-lined pod.
The lovely thing about favas is just how much they enjoy the cold. You get to sow them while most beans are still waiting in the wings, either in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked or in fall where winters stay mild. Because it is a nitrogen-fixing legume, the plant quietly feeds itself and even leaves the soil in better shape for whatever you grow next.
They ask very little of you and give back early. Set them in good ground, keep the soil evenly moist through bloom and pod fill, and glance at the new tips now and then for black aphids. Get the timing right so flowering meets cool weather, and you will be gathering tender pods and beans from late spring into early summer, with mistakes along the way easy to recover from.
Care
The short version: give them full sun and cool weather, deep well-drained soil with lots of organic matter, and steady moisture through flowering and pod fill, and you can skip most feeding because the plant fixes its own nitrogen.
Light
Favas do their best in full sun, and yet they will accept a touch of partial shade and still set pods for you. The more light they get, the sturdier the tall stems and the more generous the flowering.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist through germination, flowering, and pod fill, which usually comes down to a good soak every 5 to 7 days. Try not to let it swing from bone dry to soggy, and ease back in cold, wet soils, where standing water can rot the seed before it has a chance.
Soil
Settle them into deep, well-drained loam with plenty of organic matter mixed in. A pH between 6.0 and 7.5 suits them happily, and that deep, free-draining ground gives the strong taproot all the room it wants.
Temperature
This is a true cool-season crop, hardy down to about 14°F (-10°C) and most content below 77°F (25°C). Heat at flowering is the one thing to watch, since it can make the blossoms drop before they manage to set pods.
Humidity
Everyday outdoor air around 40% to 60% is perfectly fine, so this is not a number to fret over. Airflow matters far more here, because leaves that stay crowded and damp can invite chocolate spot.
Feeding
Being a nitrogen-fixing legume, the fava feeds itself and rarely asks for extra nitrogen. On thin ground, work in a small amount of phosphorus and potassium at planting, and then you can leave it be.
Pruning
Once the lowest pods start to set, pinch out the soft growing tips. That one simple gesture takes away the tender shoots black bean aphids love and sends the plant's energy down into filling the pods.
Size & spacing
The plants reach 3 to 5 feet (90 to 150 cm) tall while staying fairly slim at 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) across. Give each one that bit of room so air can move freely and chocolate spot finds less of a foothold.
When to plant
Fava beans relish the very cold that holds most beans back, which works in your favor. Sow them straight into the ground in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked, or in fall where winters stay mild, and you will gather tender pods from late spring into early summer, before the heat slows the plant down.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Direct-sow in early spring as soon as soil is workable, or sow in fall in mild-winter (zone 7+) climates for overwintering.
- Harvest: Harvest tender pods/seeds in late spring to early summer.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–8
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Most fava bean troubles turn up either on the fresh growth at the top of the plant or on the lower leaves when the weather is damp, and none of them are cause for panic. Notice the early signs and a small worry stays small. Match what you are seeing to the notes below, then step in while it still helps.
Reddish-brown spots that darken the foliage in damp weather
Those rusty marks creeping across the leaves are chocolate spot, a fungus that settles in when conditions stay cool, wet, and crowded, and you can absolutely get ahead of it. Spread the plants out for better airflow, gently remove the most blemished leaves, and try to keep water off the foliage. A bit of attention to drainage and a light touch with nitrogen will help you keep it in check.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation by wider spacing
- Remove and destroy badly affected foliage
- Avoid overhead watering
Black aphids gathering on the tender new shoots
If you spot dark little insects bunched at the top of the plant, take a breath, because these black bean aphids are a common visitor and easy to handle. The shiny, sticky film they leave can attract ants and turn sooty, but you have good options. Pinch off the worst of the tips, rinse the rest away with a firm spray of water, and only if a stubborn group lingers reach for insecticidal soap.
Fix:
- Pinch off and destroy heavily infested growing tips
- Dislodge colonies with a strong water spray
- Use insecticidal soap on persistent infestations
Blossoms fall and the pods never form
When your plant looks lush and green yet the flowers keep dropping before pods appear, it is almost always heat during flowering at work, and that is nobody's fault. Favas love the cool and will let their blooms go when a warm spell arrives at the wrong time. Keep the soil evenly moist while they bloom, enjoy the pods that do set, and next season simply nudge your sowing date so flowering meets cooler weather.
Fix:
- Maintain even soil moisture during bloom
- Harvest existing pods promptly to encourage continued set
Toxicity
You can grow fava beans with an easy mind, since the plant is safe around cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, livestock, and poultry. For people, cooked beans are wholesome and nourishing, with one important exception: anyone who has the inherited G6PD enzyme deficiency can suffer a serious blood reaction called favism from eating the beans or even breathing the pollen, so they should avoid the plant entirely.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
There is no poisoning danger here for cats, so if yours sneaks a taste of a leaf or pod, you can relax.
Dogs None
Your dog is welcome around these plants, since the ASPCA does not list favas as toxic. If one bolts down a mouthful of raw beans, the worst you may notice is a little gas or a softer stool.
Horses Safe
Horses do just fine nibbling fava foliage, and that easy tolerance is exactly why the gentle old name horse bean has lasted.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can happily browse the leaves and soft pods without harm; just bring in any new green a little at a time, the way you would with any fresh forage.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep have long eaten fava beans as feed and fodder, so you needn't worry about the plant out in the field.
Birds Safe
Your backyard poultry can peck at the beans and greens with no trouble, and in some places favas are grown on purpose as a bird feed.
People Safe
For most people, cooked fava beans are a wholesome and welcome food. The single real exception is anyone with the inherited G6PD enzyme deficiency, who can suffer a serious blood reaction called favism from eating the beans or even breathing the pollen, so they need to steer clear of the plant entirely.
Human food-safety note: people with the inherited enzyme deficiency G6PD (favism) can develop acute hemolytic anemia from eating fava beans or even inhaling the pollen. This is a human genetic-condition concern, not a pet toxicity or general toxicity issue.
Varieties
There are many fava bean varieties out there, but a handful keep earning a place in home gardens. These are the friendly few worth getting to know by name.
Aquadulce
If you want to sow in autumn and let the crop overwinter in a mild climate, this very hardy long-pod type is a comforting choice to start with.
Windsor
This is the well-loved broad, flat-seeded bean held in short pods, grown most of all for the wonderful richness of its flavor.
The Sutton
Topping out at only about 12 inches (30 cm), this dwarf variety is a kind pick for small beds and breezy, exposed corners.
Companions
Fava beans pair well with hungry crops that draw on the nitrogen they leave behind, and sit poorly next to onions and garlic, which many gardeners find hold legumes back.
Plant near
brassicas: As a nitrogen-fixing legume, fava beans can precede or accompany heavy-feeding brassicas that benefit from improved soil nitrogen.
Keep apart
onions and garlic (alliums): Alliums are commonly cited as poor companions for beans and other legumes.
How to propagate
Growing fava beans from seed is about as forgiving as gardening gets, sown right into the ground where they will live out their whole short, generous life.
SeedEasy
Direct-sow in early spring as soon as soil is workable, or in fall in mild-winter climates. · 1 to 2 weeks to germinate in cool soil
You can sow these with confidence right where they will grow, since favas settle in quickly and would rather not be moved. Tuck the seeds about 2 inches (5 cm) deep into cool, workable soil in early spring, or sow in fall if your winters stay gentle. Even in still-cold ground, they reward you by pushing up in 1 to 2 weeks.
Myths
Fava beans are toxic to everyone and unsafe to eat.
Take heart, because cooked fava beans are a safe and nourishing food for most people. The true exception is anyone born with the G6PD enzyme deficiency, who can suffer a serious blood reaction called favism from eating the beans or breathing in the pollen. That is an inherited human condition, not a poison hiding in the plant.