Also known as Amish Knuttle or Mayflower, this heirloom bean is rumored to have arrived in the New World alongside the very first Pilgrims on the notorious 1620 voyage of the Mayflower. Some accounts even claim that Anne Hutchinson herself brought the seeds from England to help sustain the young Plymouth colony.
A fun story, perhaps, but historical records suggest that its true origin lays with the Seneca Nation — hundreds (if not thousands) of years before the Mayflower ever set sail. The Seneca people believed the Cornstalk bean to be the most ancient of all the varieties they grew and it has played a starring role in much of their tribal folklore ever since.
In more recent history, this cultivar was prized in the Carolinas for its outstanding flavor and beauty. The fresh pods (while stringy) are a remarkably flavorful garden snack. Although when left to fully mature on the vine, the cool fall breeze dries these beans to perfection. Each cream-colored seed within develops an airbrushed splattering of rich maroon speckles, making Seneca Cornstalk among the most beautiful dry beans that we offer. Cut-short type.