Common Bean

A legume, Phaseolus vulgaris, domesticated independently in two separate regions of the Americas, Mesoamerica and the central Andes, producing genetically distinct bean populations that were later cross-bred as the crop spread. In Mesoamerica the common bean became one of the Three Sisters, grown together with maize and squash in a companion-planting system in which the bean's nitrogen-fixing roots enriched the soil, the maize stalk supported the climbing bean vine, and the squash's broad leaves suppressed weeds. Common beans today include hundreds of named varieties, from kidney and pinto to black and navy beans, and India, Myanmar and Brazil are among the largest modern producers.