Broad Windsor Fava Bean
Best reliable seeds for successful home gardening.
Broad Windsor Fava Bean is an heirloom variety with a history dating back to the 1800s. This cool-season crop thrives when planted in fall or winter, growing up to five feet tall. It produces abundant six to eight inch pods filled with large, succulent beans that can be enjoyed fresh or dried. Even the young pods and baby leaves are edible, offering versatile culinary uses. Beyond its edible qualities, this fava bean serves as an excellent nitrogen-fixing cover crop, enriching the soil with valuable biomass and improving soil structure with its deep taproot. Seeds are certified organic.
$4.99
Owner Satisfaction
4.6
/ 5
Category Rank
3240
/ 6505
#3240 in Seeds & Seed Tape
Price vs Category Average
-53%
Below average
Common Name
Broad Windsor Fava Bean
/ Broad Windsor Fava Bean
Who it's for
- Home cooks seeking unique, flavorful ingredients for their kitchen
- Gardeners focused on organic practices and long-term soil health
- Novice gardeners wanting a reliable, low-maintenance crop for their plot
Who should skip it
- Busy individuals preferring quick-prep vegetables for their meals
- Urban gardeners with limited growing space or small plots
- Consumers with specific genetic predispositions or dietary restrictions
Performance breakdown
Soil Enrichment
Superior nitrogen-fixing capabilities significantly boost garden soil health and biomass.
Culinary Versatility
Edible leaves, pods, and beans offer multiple harvest opportunities per plant.
Climate Adaptability
Robust frost tolerance makes this an ideal choice for cool-season growing.
Heirloom Authenticity
A time-tested variety preserving traditional flavor profiles since the 1800s.
Space Efficiency
Reaching five feet tall, this variety requires significant vertical garden space.
Growing Complexity
Straightforward cultivation, though the long maturity period requires patient garden planning.
Key Specs
Common Name
Broad Windsor Fava Bean
Scientific Name
Vicia faba
Plant Lifespan
Annual
Cold Hardiness (F)
Zone 8a (10 to 15)
Light Requirements
Full Sun (min. 6 hours a day)
Seed In
Early Winter (Dec 21 - Jan 20), Mid Winter (Jan 21 - Feb 20), Late Winter (Feb 21 - Mar 20), Early Spring (Mar 21 - Apr 20), Mid Fall (Oct 22 - Nov 21), and Late Fall (Nov 22 - Dec 20)
Seeding Depth
1 in.
Days to Sprout
7-14
Features
- Heirloom variety dating back to the 1800s
- Edible pods, leaves, and young beans
- Nitrogen-fixing cover crop for soil enrichment
- Improves soil structure with deep taproot
- Certified organic seeds
- Frost tolerant for cool-season growing
What customers say
Customers consistently express high satisfaction with these fava bean seeds. A dominant theme is the exceptional germination rate, with many gardeners reporting nearly every seed sprouting successfully. This leads directly to robust, healthy plants and abundant harvests. Reviewers frequently commend the overall quality of the seeds, noting their reliability and ease of cultivation. Even those new to gardening find these beans straightforward to grow, yielding impressive results. The consistent performance and strong yields make these a highly recommended choice for home growers seeking dependable fava beans.
Know before you buy
No, these plants are not suitable for containers. They grow up to five feet tall and develop deep taproots, so they require direct planting in the ground to thrive.
This variety is highly versatile; you can eat the young pods, the baby leaves, and the mature beans inside the pods. The beans can be enjoyed fresh when succulent or dried for long-term storage.
Broad Windsor Fava Beans act as a nitrogen-fixing cover crop. They pull nitrogen from the air into the soil and their deep taproots help break up compacted earth, naturally improving soil structure and fertility.
These are cool-season crops that thrive in temperatures between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. You can plant them throughout the fall, winter, and early spring, depending on your local climate.
For optimal growth, space your seeds 8 to 12 inches apart. This ensures the plants have enough airflow and room to reach their full height of five feet.
Yes, these are certified organic seeds, meaning they are produced without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
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