Pole beans are characterized by an indeterminant or vining growth habit, while bush bean varieties are determinant. In the vining type, flowers form in the axils of the leaves and stem, and the stem may continue to grow indefinitely. Beans that climb do so by virtue of their twining stems. Pole beans cannot climb until they are well along in their growth.
In the determinant-type growth, the main growing point terminates in a flower cluster, preventing stem elongation. The absence of tendrils or tendril leaves in beans helps distinguish beans from peas.
