Fava Bean is an annual grown for its pods, ready to pick about 85 days after sowing. It's hardy across USDA zones 2 through 11. Its flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees, even though the pods are the prize. A nitrogen-fixer, it draws nitrogen from the air and feeds it back to the soil — turn it under or leave the roots in place, and the next planting inherits a richer bed.
Zones
2-11
pH Range
4.5-8.6
Sun
Full Sun
Days to Maturity
85
Score Fava Bean on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether fava bean actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score fava bean against your land's real conditions.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
What Fava Bean is
Fava Bean grows as an annual and reaches around four feet at maturity.
How to grow Fava Bean
Fava Bean grows in USDA zones 2 through 11 and is ready to harvest about 85 days after planting. Fava Bean does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 8.6, on well-drained ground. It needs around 1,300 growing degree days to mature and a growing season of at least 100 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
2-11
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.5 - 8.6
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Full Sun
plant_species_v5.csv
Drainage
well (dry spells)
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost Tolerance
41°F
plant_species_v5.csv
Days to Maturity
85 days
Fava bean / broad bean; cool-season; frost-tolerant young plants.
OSU-PNW; UMass-Veg
GDD Required
1300+
plant_species_v5.csv
Mature Height
4 ft
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost-Free Days
100+
plant_species_v5.csv
Start the season right
Plant fava bean in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Fava Bean prefers pH 4.5 to 8.6 (USDA PLANTS Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band. It fixes its own nitrogen, so skip the high-nitrogen feed and instead dust the seed with a matching rhizobium inoculant at sowing.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at maturity
Fava Bean is ready about 85 days after sowing (OSU-PNW; UMass-Veg). Pick the pods young and tender, before the seeds inside fully swell.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — fava bean isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Fava Bean offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership.)
Where Fava Bean thrives
On hardiness alone, fava bean grows across most of the country — its range (USDA zones 2 through 11) is unusually wide. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 2–11·Where Fava Bean growsOpen map →
Continental US shown — Alaska and US Pacific territories sit outside the federal map's polygon dataset.
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Fava Bean can grow in these states:
See if Fava Bean will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether fava bean actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Fava Bean in my zone?
Fava Bean grows in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 11 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
How long does Fava Bean take to grow?
Fava Bean is ready to harvest about 85 days after planting (OSU-PNW; UMass-Veg). Your local frost dates and soil temperature move that window earlier or later.
When should you plant Fava Bean?
Most growers plant fava bean after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 100-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Fava Bean need?
Fava Bean needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Fava Bean need?
Fava Bean prefers soil pH 4.5 to 8.6, on well-drained ground (USDA PLANTS Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Fava Bean attract pollinators?
Yes — fava bean's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees (Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership).
Is Fava Bean safe for pets?
Fava Bean is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data (ASPCA). Always supervise pets around new plantings.