[9] It differs from the common bean (P. vulgaris) in several respects: the cotyledons stay in the ground during germination, and the plant is a perennial vine with tuberous roots (though it is frequently treated as an annual in colder climates).

[12] Runner beans were grown as food plants in North America and Europe from the 1600s, and also as ornamentals for their attractive flowers.

In the UK and other European countries – where the vegetable is a popular choice for kitchen gardens and allotments – the flowers came to be ignored, or treated as an attractive bonus to cultivating the plant for the beans.

A variety named 'Judión de la Granja' producing large, white, edible beans is cultivated in San Ildefonso, Spain.

They are grown under protective law in the north of Greece within the regions of Kato Nevrokopi, Florina and Kastoria.

[18][19] In Austria the coloured versions are cultivated and served as "Käferbohnen" ("beetle-bean"), a dish made of the dry beans with pumpkin seed oil.

It is considered a typical dish of regional Austrian cuisine, but dried runner beans are also consumed to a small extent in Germany.