In addition to cultivars where the pods are harvested while still fleshy and green and seeds are immature, some cultivars such as 'Red Kidney' have been selected for the appearance and eating quality of the seed when mature and dry. Dry beans fall into many categories depending on the color, size, shape and pattern of the bean, with more than 2,000 cultivars listed by the Seed Savers Exchange. There is little or no commercial production of dry beans in the South, however, because high humidity in the fall makes harvest and threshing difficult, and make season-long protection from foliar diseases difficult. They require a longer growing season than snap beans. Like limas, butterbeans can be sold dried or partially green.
Seeds can be tan, brown, white, cream, speckled, or 'black-eyed'.