Topic: Beans - Cherokee Trail of Tears?

[winecap]

Hi. I was wondering if anybody grows these beans, as I was given some and they have grown quite well, but they look like they have mixed parentage as the flowers on different plants are different colours. Can anybody describe what they are supposed to look like?
Thanks.

[galina]

Hi. I was wondering if anybody grows these beans, as I was given some and they have grown quite well, but they look like they have mixed parentage as the flowers on different plants are different colours. Can anybody describe what they are supposed to look like?
Thanks.

Lilac/purple flowers are normal, very occasionally there are white flowered and white seeded mutations.  What differences are you seeing? 

Pods green with strong purple hue on older pods - they almost look black.  Pods have a strong string which is also purple.  They are delicious for eating as green beans.  The string is easy to remove and doesn't break, which means it can be pulled in one go.  Some people leave them to mature on the plants and harvest the black seeds inside.  The pods are 'pencil pods', shaped like pencils, long and more or less round.

The white seeded mutation is very similar in size and shape, but has fewer purple hues.

There are many pictures of the black-seeded normal type on Google images.

[lottie lou]

Mine were like that till this year.  Must have crossed with something as they are flat - not rounded and no purple string.  Didn't think they crossed - drat.

[galina]

Mine were like that till this year.  Must have crossed with something as they are flat - not rounded and no purple string.  Didn't think they crossed - drat.

The string can be more or less purple,  but definitely more purple the older the pods get.  Some of the colouring depends on seasonal factors.  but the basic shape should stay the same.  Still, if they are nice beans you haven't lost anything.

French beans can cross, but it is quite rare.  And it is not likely that every single one has crossed unless you only saved seed from one pod on one plant.  Normally crossing is not a concern with French beans.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Are you sure they're Trail of Tears?

[ancellsfarmer]

Hi. I was wondering if anybody grows these beans, as I was given some and they have grown quite well, but they look like they have mixed parentage as the flowers on different plants are different colours. Can anybody describe what they are supposed to look like?
Thanks.

Try this for size!
http://sweetdomesticity.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/cooking-with-cherokee-trail-of-tears.html
My first year with these, from Real Seeds. The crop is proliffic, and equal in weight to the neighbouring Cobra. It will be interesting to see if they have crossed with each other? If anything the Tears grow faster and age quicker, and climb like boa constrictors!

[lottie lou]

Are you sure they're Trail of Tears?

They were when I started them a few years back.   

[shirlton]

I have grown them for quite a few years now and did have some that although the flowers and everything else was the norm ,the shells of the beans were very flat and tough. I have always saved my own seed. Last year as soon as I saw the flat beans producing I pulled the plant out. All seed from last year was ok.
Something I did notice while looking through some seed from a few years ago was that some of the seeds were square shaped instead of round. Might pay you to look at the seed.
If you need any seed I have plenty. Also have loads of shelling bean seeds (Kew Blue)

[winecap]

Thanks for all the responses. Three quarters of mine have a purple flower, but the others have a peachy orange flower, so seem to be imposters. They all taste fine and are growing well, but when it comes to seed saving I should now be able to label them appropriately.

[lottie lou]

Thanks for your offer Shirl, will check my seeds next year.