The runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus), also called the scarlet runner bean, is a vigorous climbing legume grown for its large, broad, flat green pods, which are picked young and eaten whole — sliced into long ribbons and cooked as a vegetable. Coarser, beanier and more robustly flavoured than the slender French (green) bean, it is a mainstay of British and European kitchen gardens and a fixture of the late-summer allotment.