Gardenall, I grew Kwintus here in the Seattle area the last two summers. In 2009 it stayed above 100F for a week and they did well. That is hot for here but maybe not for there. Last spring was the coldest and latest ever recorded and they did not do as well.

Up to about 1/2 inch wide, they look just like greasy beans and they make nice snaps until 3/4 inch by 8 inches or so. At 1 inch wide and 10 inches long they get fibrous. I do not have a report on shelly quality.

SSE members in NY, PA and NC offer them and they also grow in AR. - Dick

Anyone from the south have luck with Kwintus beans?

I mentioned North Carolina and Arkansas. I do not know about farther south than that.

I'm in Richmond, Virginia; am growing Kwintus beans this year for the first time. They're fabulous. It has been very, very hot here since early May. The Kwintus beans bore up in the heat, even though they pretty quite young when the weather got steamy. I began harvesting at about 52 days. Unlike others, I haven't found them to ever get tough the way bush beans do. They have been tender and yummy no matter the size (though I haven't let them get an inch wide, a few have gotten 8 or 9 inches long, and yet stayed tender). I'm totally sold on them - will never be without them in my garden. They are THAT good in flavor and in terms of being easy to grow.

I'm growing them this year - they did great earlier in the season, but seem to be petering out in the heat and it has been excessively hot here. They were very tasty, but not as reliable as the Heldas that I've grown for several years. They can get pretty long - 10 inches - and stay tender. Everyone who tries those is impressed and they don't seem to mind the heat as much as others. My rattlesnake beans are slowing down - no doubt, due to heat...

Cindy

They are also doing well here in the PNW with our cold spring and summer so far and are the tallest at this point. The next ten days are forecast to be mostly way below normal in the 60s so I am hoping for some more heat so they will mature. No blossoms yet. - Dick

Smaller Kwintus snaps have a greasy appearance. They grow the normal beany fuzz when larger. - Dick