Like most beans the Scarlet Runner Bean contains small amounts of the lectin phytohaemagglutinin. The highest amount is in uncooked red kidney beans. It’s toxic in large amounts which is why kidney beans are always long-cooked. As few as five raw kidney beans can cause symptoms such as losing fluids and feeling lousy for four or five hours. While there are many people who report they eat Scarlet Runner Beans seeds raw, it is a good practice to cook them. The young pods before beans truly develop are eaten raw. Like most beans the scarlet runner (or red runner, Phaseolus coccineus) prefers the ground to be warmed up before you plant it, so it's no use planting the bean too early in the spring. scarlet runner beans are so vigorous that you can plant them directly in the ground, no need to start them inside. Scarlet Runner beans are annuals so you need to plant every year. Scarlet runners are very enthusiastic plants and can easily reach a height of 10 feet. They need something to support them. They are so pretty that people often plant them on a trellis in the flower garden.