Snap Bean or Dry Bean 'Gramma Walters'

From Pacific Northwest Garden History: "A wonderful heirloom pole bean, 'Gramma Walters' has speckled pods that contain the most unusual ...Read Morebeans. They have a plump, blocky shape, but what makes them memorable is their colors. Some are solid maroon. Others are speckled maroon on white. The two kinds appear on the same plant, even in the same pod. Growers never know exactly what the beans will look like until they open the pods. 'Gramma Walters' is an early variety, one that is ready to use in 65-80 days. It is even reliable in the maritime Northwest, where cool summers often make growing dry beans iffy. Cooks use 'Gramma Walters' beans dry, in some of the same ways that they use kidney beans.

Experts are not sure who Gramma Walters was, or when she developed these beans. About all we know of her is that she lived somewhere in Eastern Washington. "