Red Noodle Yardlong Bean

Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis 'Red Noodle'

vegetable

Red Noodle is a striking yardlong bean, a member of the cowpea family grown for its slender, deep burgundy pods that can reach 14 to 18 inches. Despite the name and looks, it grows like a vigorous pole bean and loves what ordinary beans dislike: heat and humidity. The fast climbing vines reach 5 to 10 feet and crop heavily over a long season, hanging their dramatic red pods in pairs. Picked young, the pods are tender, nutty, and slightly sweeter and denser than a green bean, excellent stir-fried (they hold their texture) - and the rich red color cooks to a deep green.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Corn — Tall stalks can help support the climbing vines while sharing the hot-season bed
• Cucumber — A ground-running companion that uses the space below the trellised beans
• Marigold — Helps suppress the root-knot nematodes that attack cowpea-family roots

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Aphids →

  Cluster on new growth and can spread virus - rinse them off, encourage ladybugs, and treat hot spots with insecticidal soap

• Powdery mildew →

  A white leaf coating in hot, humid spells - space and trellis for airflow and avoid wetting the foliage late in the day

• Root-knot nematodes →

  Rotate with non-host crops, build organic matter, and interplant marigolds; some yardlong strains show resistance

🌾 Harvest & storage

Red Noodle bears in about 75 to 90 days and then keeps coming for weeks. Pick the pods young, while they are 12 to 18 inches long and still about pencil-thin and flexible, before the seeds swell and the pod goes fibrous. Harvest every day or two - frequent picking is the single biggest thing that keeps a yardlong vine cropping. Snip or pinch the pods at the stem to avoid tearing the vine. The deep red color turns dark green when cooked.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Cooked yardlong bean pods are light at about 47 calories per 100 g, with roughly 2.8 g protein, fiber, a useful 19 mg vitamin C, plus folate, vitamin A, and potassium. The young pods are eaten as a vegetable - stir-fried, steamed, or in curries - and hold their firm texture better than a snap bean.