Type
edamame, early
Edamame variety
Butterbean Edamame
Butterbean is a popular home-garden edamame with plump green beans and dependable production. Plants are relatively manageable and well suited to backyard rows.
Days to maturity
65-75
Best for
home edamame harvests, freezing
About Butterbean
Butterbean is an open-pollinated edamame grown for its large, sweet, buttery green beans. Stocky bush plants usually carry plump pods with two or three seeds, and it is known more for flavor than extreme earliness or the heaviest yields.
Growing Butterbean Edamame
Direct sow after the soil is thoroughly warm, and give plants a little more elbow room than very compact edamame so branching and pod set stay strong. Harvest when the pods are full and bright green, before they start yellowing, and watch young seedlings for bird damage or poor emergence in cool soil.
Full growing guide
For planting dates, care, and harvest that apply to all edamame, see the complete guide.
How to grow EdamameOther edamame varieties
Variety characteristics are general guidance for US home gardens; performance varies by climate, soil, and season. Seed and plant availability differs by supplier. Page updated Aug 4, 2026.