A single Chinese Python Snake Bean with blooms on a white background.
Snake Bean Seeds, Chinese Python
Snake Bean Seeds, Chinese Python
A great vegetable that is cooked like green beans
The flower of the Chinese Snake Bean
Young Chinese Python Snake Beans arranged on blue backdrop.
Young tender Chinese Python Snake Beans with foliage and blooms on blue background.
A single tender young Chinese Python Snake Bean with two blooms on blue background.
A bundle of Chinese Python Snake Beans surrounded by chopped beans, whole beans and blooms.
A single Chinese Python Snake Bean with blooms on a white background.
Snake Bean Seeds, Chinese Python
Snake Bean Seeds, Chinese Python
A great vegetable that is cooked like green beans
The flower of the Chinese Snake Bean
Young Chinese Python Snake Beans arranged on blue backdrop.
Young tender Chinese Python Snake Beans with foliage and blooms on blue background.
A single tender young Chinese Python Snake Bean with two blooms on blue background.
A bundle of Chinese Python Snake Beans surrounded by chopped beans, whole beans and blooms.

Snake Bean Seeds,
Chinese Python

4.325 Reviews#SM106 · 5 seeds
Price
Regular price $5.00
Regular price $0.00 Sale price $5.00
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Description

(Trichosanthes cucumerina). One of our favorite vegetables! (AKA Snake Melon or Snake Gourd) Smooth, bright green, and lightly waxed, this Chinese heirloom gourd offers a flavor even more tender and refined than green beans when harvested young at 12 to 30 inches. A staple in Asian kitchens, it’s traditionally used like a bean and stir-fried with peppers and onions. Let it mature fully, and the inner flesh softens into a rich pulp used in parts of Africa much like tomato paste. Growing five to seven feet long, it is the largest of all snake beans, a vigorous climber that thrives in warm, sunny conditions. Trellis and pinch lateral growth under 30 inches to keep vines climbing strong and productive.

Plant Details

Botanical Name
Trichosanthes cucumerina
Life Cycle
Annual
Growth Habit
Vining
Sun Requirement
8–12 hr.
Days to Germinate
5–8
Days to Maturity
55–65
Planting Depth
½–1 in.
Plant Spacing
6 in.
Ideal Temperature
75–95°F
Frost Hardy
No

Growing Guide

When to Grow

Soak the seed overnight and direct sow well after your last spring frost, once the soil is warm and settled night temperatures have arrived; where the season is short, start in pots 2 to 3 weeks ahead and set the plants out without disturbing the roots. If you're not sure how to find your first and last frost dates or seasonal high temperatures, consult our blog post 'Our Experts Answer Questions, Share Resources.'

How to Sow and Plant

Can be slow to germinate. Gently crack the outer seed coat, and soak the seeds in warm water for a few hours before planting. Some growers report success with sowing seeds into pots and covering in plastic wrap until germinated, while others use a heat mat.

How to Grow

Once germinated, snake beans are quick to grow. It will definitely need a trellis or fence. Harvest fruits when no longer than 2 feet long. While there is typically little or no pest pressure on these plants, they do best in hot weather with warm nights.

How to Save Seeds

  • Likely, your snake bean will not cross with other lageneria (gourd genus members as it is unique in its species) but to be entirely certain, snake bean should be grown at 1 mile isolation from other gourds to avoid cross pollination.
  • Otherwise, caging and hand pollination is required for seed saving.
  • Seeds are ready to save when the coating has become quite hard and cannot be dented with a thumbnail.
  • Keep seeds in a cool, dry, dark location.
  • Also remember that snake gourd has a low germination rate!

FAQ

Are Snake Bean gourds edible?

Yes. The young fruit is delicious and tender; it can be used like green beans, and the red pulp of mature beans can be used like tomato paste.

Customer reviews

4.3 / 5 25 Reviews

What gardeners are saying

  • Mild, nutty flavor: Odd raw smell cooks away; tastes like green bean or buttered corn.

  • Takes over once going: Slow at first, then vines run 20 feet and fruit comes nonstop.

  • Pick them young: Best at 18 to 24 inches and thumb thick; let a few go for show.

  • Garden showstopper: Snaky fruit and lacy white flowers draw a crowd; kids love it.

  • Heads up: Germination is slow and spotty; sow extra and keep it warm.

More to grow!

See all Snake Bean Seeds