Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco

Family: Fabaceae Legume

Warm, sunlit pods open to reveal Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco’s unmistakable mottled beans—cream ground with fiery russet streaks that look like embers caught in porcelain.

The dry beans develop a firm, creamy interior with a satisfying bite, ideal for hearty pots and slow-simmered favorites, as well as robust bean-forward dishes. Grow with confidence for a dependable 80-day harvest of showy, flavorful dry beans that store beautifully for later enjoyment.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 80 DaysHabit: Bush

Botanical illustration of Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco

Planting schedules and alerts are optimized for Columbus (Zone 6b).

Crop Dates

Milestone	Date
Start Indoors	Direct Sow
Last Frost	Apr 25th
Transplant / Sow Outdoors	Apr 25th
Harvest Begins	Jul 14th
Harvest Ends	Oct 16th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	80
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Bush
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	70
Min Soil Temp (°F)	55
Min Night Temp (°F)	28
Harden Off (days)	Not Required

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco cooks into beans that are creamy but still eat with a real bite—built for long, unhurried simmering. Their ember-like coloring matches the way they drink up pork-and-aromatics broth, giving you a pot that thickens naturally into something spoon-thick and rich.

Best Uses

slow-simmered bean soup and rustic minestrone where the beans hold shape
cassoulet-style beans with pork fat and aromatics
bean purée thickened by reduction for a spoonable, velvety base
chilled, dressed bean salad where they stay toothy and absorb vinaigrette

Flavor Profile

creamy, starchy beaniness with a nutty undertone russet streak tang that reads gently sweet when cooked through firm, meaty interior with a clean bite absorbs broth and spices without turning mushy

Kitchen Pairings

pork (chorizo, bacon, or pork shoulder) onion and garlic bay leaf and thyme tomato passata or crushed tomatoes olive oil and red wine vinegar parmesan or pecorino

Frequently Asked Questions

My Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco beans have pale, stippled leaves and tiny webbing—what pest is it and what should I do?

This is most often spider mites, which thrive in hot, dry weather and cause leaf stippling plus fine webbing. Rinse plants thoroughly with a strong spray of water, then repeat every 2–3 days for a week to knock down mites; keep soil evenly moist to reduce stress. If damage keeps spreading, apply an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil labeled for mites, coating the undersides of leaves and reapplying per the label schedule.

How often should I water Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco during the main growing phase to avoid yield problems?

During pod fill (roughly weeks 6–12, approaching the 80-day mark), keep soil consistently moist but not soggy—about 1 inch of water per week total, split into 2–3 waterings if it’s hot. Water when the top 1 inch of soil feels dry; avoid letting beans cycle between drought and heavy watering, which can reduce pod set.

When are Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco ready to harvest for dry beans versus shell beans?

For dry beans, harvest when pods are fully filled and the leaves are largely yellowed and dry (typically around 80 days), then finish drying indoors until the seeds rattle inside the pods. For shell beans, pick earlier when pods are plump but still green-drying—stop harvesting when the seeds are fully colored and firm, but pods haven’t turned brittle yet.