OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

Green beans are long, thin pods that grow on vines or small bushes, and they make a satisfying “snap” sound when you break them in half! That snapping sound is how they got their nickname: snap beans. Green beans originally came from Central and South America.

There are two main kinds of green bean plants: bush beans that grow in short, round bushes, and pole beans that climb up tall poles and can grow over six feet high! Green beans are picked when they are still young and tender, before the beans inside grow big and hard.