Best Fava Bean Varieties for Home Gardens

Fava beans (also called broad beans) are a cool-weather crop that thrive in mild spring and fall conditions. For home gardeners, choosing the right variety makes all the difference in yield, flavor, and harvest time. Whether you’re growing for tender green pods or dried beans for winter soups, there’s a fava bean suited to your garden and taste.

Table of Contents

🌿 Early-Maturing Varieties

1. Aquadulce Claudia
One of the earliest and most reliable fava beans for mild-winter climates. Produces long pods with 7–9 large, flavorful beans. Excellent cold tolerance—ideal for fall planting in Zones 8–10.

2. Sweet Lorraine
Fast-growing and compact; ready to harvest in about 80 days. Known for its smooth, nutty flavor. Great for small gardens or container growing.

🫘 High-Yielding and Productive Varieties

3. Windsor (Broad Windsor)
A classic heirloom variety grown for centuries. Produces plump, creamy beans with excellent flavor. Vigorous plants yield heavily and tolerate cool, wet conditions well.

4. Stereo
Uniform, high-yielding plants that produce pods with large, tender seeds. Popular with market gardeners for consistent harvests and strong plant vigor.

🍽️ Best for Flavor and Culinary Use

5. Ianto’s Return
A gourmet heirloom variety known for its rich, nutty flavor and vibrant green color when cooked. Excellent fresh or dried.

6. Supersimonia
Large-seeded Italian favorite prized for its buttery texture and mild flavor. Perfect for fresh eating and salads.

❄️ Best for Overwintering

7. Banner
A hardy, early-producing variety suited for fall planting in mild-winter areas. Withstands frost and produces heavy spring yields.

8. Diana
Cold-tolerant and vigorous, Diana overwinters well in coastal or inland valley gardens. Produces medium-size beans with full, earthy flavor.

🌸 Decorative and Dual-Purpose Varieties

9. Crimson Flowered Broad Bean
A heritage variety with stunning red flowers and good yields of small, tasty beans. Adds color and charm to ornamental or edible borders.

10. Masterpiece Green Longpod
Long, slender pods filled with medium-sized beans. Excellent flavor and attractive white flowers make it both productive and ornamental.

🌱 My Experience

Over the years, I’ve grown many fava varieties, but Aquadulce Claudia remains my top choice for reliability and yield in Zone 9b. For flavor, Ianto’s Return stands out with its creamy texture and sweetness. Mixing early and main-season varieties ensures a steady harvest from early spring through early summer.

🫘 Fava Bean Variety Comparison Chart

Variety Name	Days to Maturity	Plant Height	Cold Tolerance	Flavor Profile	Yield Potential	Best For
Aquadulce Claudia	85–95 days	3–4 ft (90–120 cm)	Excellent	Mild, nutty, buttery	High	Early planting, overwintering in mild climates
Sweet Lorraine	75–85 days	2.5–3 ft (75–90 cm)	Good	Smooth, slightly sweet	Moderate	Containers, small gardens
Broad Windsor	90–100 days	3–4 ft (90–120 cm)	Good	Rich, creamy, full-bodied	High	Classic flavor, large beans
Stereo	85–95 days	3 ft (90 cm)	Fair	Mild, earthy	Very High	Market gardens, consistent production
Ianto’s Return	95–100 days	3.5–4 ft (105–120 cm)	Good	Sweet, nutty, rich	Moderate	Gourmet cooking, fresh or dried use
Supersimonia	100–110 days	3–4 ft (90–120 cm)	Fair	Buttery, delicate, mild	High	Culinary use, salads, fresh eating
Banner	85–95 days	2.5–3 ft (75–90 cm)	Excellent	Mild, classic fava flavor	High	Overwintering, early harvests
Diana	90–100 days	3 ft (90 cm)	Excellent	Earthy, slightly sweet	Moderate	Cold regions, overwinter production
Crimson Flowered Broad Bean	90–95 days	2.5–3 ft (75–90 cm)	Good	Mild, nutty	Moderate	Ornamental and edible gardens
Masterpiece Green Longpod	95–105 days	3–4 ft (90–120 cm)	Good	Fresh, green, slightly grassy	High	Dual-purpose, decorative borders