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Cultivar · Common bean market class

Navy bean

Also known as: Pea bean

Navy (pea) bean is a small white common bean market class of the Mesoamerican gene pool, used for canning and slow-cooked dishes. It is a seed-type class spanning many cultivars, not one variety.

Dated referenceLast reviewed: 2026-07-12Updated: 2026-07-12
Illustrative diagram · AgricultureID (original)

Record

Cultivar / variety
Variety of
Common Bean
Botanical taxon
Phaseolus vulgaris
Type
Market class / landrace group
Breeding method
Self-pollinated market class (comprising many cultivars)
Origin
Mesoamerican (Middle American) gene pool
Registry status
Historical
Adaptation
Warm-season, frost-sensitive common bean; flowering and pod set are vulnerable to heat stress. Well-drained loams; sensitive to waterlogging and compaction.
Intended use
Dry culinary bean (for example, baked beans, canning, and soups)

Registry listing or variety protection is jurisdiction- and date-specific and does not by itself indicate current commercial availability, universal cultivation approval, patent status, or a recommendation.

Navy bean, also called pea bean, is a market class of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) defined by its small, oval, white to cream seed. It is widely used as a dry culinary bean, particularly for canning and slow-cooked dishes such as baked beans, where the seeds hold their shape well.

Like other bean classes, "navy" names a seed type rather than a single cultivar. Many individually named navy-bean cultivars are bred and grown within the class, sharing its small white seed while differing in agronomy. Navy beans are generally classified within the Mesoamerican (Middle American) gene pool of common bean.

A market class, not a single cultivar

Navy (pea) bean is a market class — a seed-type category — within the single species Phaseolus vulgaris. The class groups cultivars that share a small white seed, but those cultivars differ in growth habit, maturity, and other agronomic traits.

Seed type and use

The navy class is recognized by its small, oval, white to cream seed. Its culinary value lies partly in holding shape through slow cooking and canning, which underlies its long association with baked-bean and canned-bean products. It is generally placed within the Mesoamerican gene pool of common bean.

  • Seed: small, oval, white/cream
  • Species: Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean)
  • Gene pool: Mesoamerican (Middle American)
  • Use: canning, baked beans, soups

Cultivation context

As common beans, navy cultivars are warm-season and frost-sensitive, with flowering and pod set vulnerable to heat stress, and perform best on well-drained loams. Planting timing, growth habit, and management vary by cultivar and region and are not reduced to universal values here.

Relationships

Evidence-backed connections in the knowledge graph.

Adapted to soil

Related topics

Scope & limitations

Geographic scope: A globally grown dry-bean class. Agronomy and performance depend on the specific cultivar and local conditions.

Climate context: Warm-season, frost-sensitive common bean class; heat at flowering reduces pod set.

  • Navy (pea) bean is a market class (seed type), not a single registered cultivar; it encompasses many cultivars that differ agronomically.
  • Gene-pool classification (Mesoamerican) is a general placement; individual materials can vary.
  • No release year, breeder, resistance, or yield is asserted for the class; such claims belong to individual cultivar records.
  • Culinary preparation and food-safety handling are outside the scope of this agronomy-focused record.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]GRIN-Global / National Plant Germplasm System (opens in a new tab)

    USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) germplasm and market-class documentation

    Type:
    Official registry
    Jurisdiction:
    United States / Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]CGIAR — Global agricultural research partnership (opens in a new tab)

    CGIAR

    High

    Cited for: Common bean gene-pool classification and germplasm research

    Type:
    Research institute
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  3. [3]CABI Digital Library — Crop Protection Compendium (opens in a new tab)

    CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International)

    High

    Cited for: Common bean crop and seed-type context

    Type:
    Reference database
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12

Related topics

Soil Health