<P> Green beans are the unripe, young fruit and protective pods of various cultivars of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Immature or young pods of the runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus), yardlong bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp . sesquipedalis), and hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus) are used in a similar way . Green beans are known by many common names, including French beans, string beans, snap beans, and snaps . </P> <P> They are distinguished from the many differing varieties of beans in that green beans are harvested and consumed with their enclosing pods, typically before the seeds inside have fully matured . This practice is analogous to the harvesting of unripened pea pods as snow peas or sugar snap peas . </P>

Are green beans the same as french beans