Vicia faba

Vicia faba (broad bean / fava bean) seed for large, buttery beans. Unusually hardy legume that can be autumn- or spring-sown direct and fixes nitrogen in the soil.
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  • Broad Bean Witkiem seeds (Vicia faba) – annual vegetable Broad Bean Witkiem (Vicia faba) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Broad Bean Seeds Witkiem Vicia Faba Annual Variety
    $10.00

    Witkiem broad beans for sunny vegetable plots broad bean seeds ‘Witkiem’ are an annual legume choice for gardeners who want a reliable field bean vegetable in the kitchen garden. This witkiem broad bean variety is...
  • Broad Bean Witkiem seeds (Vicia faba) – organic annual vegetable Broad Bean Witkiem (Vicia faba) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    10%
    Broad Bean Seeds Organic Vicia Faba Annual Witkiem
    $9.00$10.00

    Organic broad bean seeds for open ground broad bean seeds are a reliable choice for vegetable plots and kitchen gardens, especially when you want a classic, productive bean crop with a traditional look. This organic...
  • Broad Bean Threefold White seeds (Vicia faba) – annual vegetable Broad Bean Threefold White (Vicia faba) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Broad Bean Seeds Threefold White Vicia Faba Annual Variety White Flower
    $9.00

    Threefold White broad beans for kitchen gardens broad bean seeds for the classic Threefold White variety, a reliable annual vegetable seed for gardeners who want a white flowering broad bean variety with a traditional look...
  • Broad Bean Threefold White seeds (Vicia faba) – annual vegetable Broad Bean Threefold White (Vicia faba) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Broad Bean Seeds Threefold White Vicia Faba Annual Variety
    $10.00

    Broad Bean Variety With White Flowers broad bean seeds ‘Threefold White’ are an annual vegetable legume choice valued for their white-flowering plants and pale beans that keep their light color after cooking. This classic selection...

Vicia faba — broad bean

Vicia faba is the botanical name for the broad bean, also known as the fava bean — a hardy legume (Fabaceae) grown for its large, buttery seeds. It is the species behind our broad bean range and one of the most rewarding members of our wider legume collection.

History & origin

The broad bean is one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world, eaten across the Near East, North Africa and Europe since the Neolithic and Bronze Ages — long before runner and French beans reached the Old World from the Americas. It was a dietary staple of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and remains central to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking today. The genus name Vicia is the classical Latin name for vetches, to which the bean is related, while faba is simply the Latin for bean.

Botanical characteristics

Vicia faba is a sturdy, upright annual with hollow square stems, grey-green leaves and clusters of white flowers blotched with black, which are followed by thick, plush-lined pods holding several large flat seeds. It is unusually hardy for a legume, tolerating cold that would kill other beans, which allows autumn as well as spring sowing. Like all legumes it fixes nitrogen at its roots, enriching the soil for the crops that follow — one reason it features among our direct-sow vegetables.

Growing Vicia faba from seed

Broad beans are sown direct, pushing the large seeds straight into the soil. Hardy types can go in during late autumn or early winter for the earliest crops, with the main sowings made in early spring. Tall varieties appreciate some support, and pinching out the growing tips once pods set helps deter blackfly and steers energy into the beans. Our vegetable growing guide covers the basics, and the vegetable sowing calendar shows the autumn and spring windows.

Ready for an early, easy crop of buttery beans? Browse the varieties below.

Related categories: Broad Bean · Legumes · Green Beans · Direct Sow Vegetables · All Vegetables

At SeedsChoice, every order ships from Meppel, NL with fast, tracked EU delivery.

Can I sow broad beans in autumn?
Yes. Hardy varieties can be sown in late autumn or early winter to stand over the cold and crop earlier the following year, as well as the usual early-spring sowings. How do I stop blackfly on broad beans?
Pinch out the soft growing tips once the lower pods have set. This removes the tender growth blackfly prefer and channels the plant's energy into filling the beans. Do broad beans need support?
Tall varieties benefit from a few stakes and string around the row to stop them flopping in wind and rain; dwarf types are usually self-supporting. What is the difference between a broad bean and a fava bean?
They are the same plant, Vicia faba — 'broad bean' is the common European name and 'fava bean' is widely used elsewhere, often for the dried beans.