Lima Beans

Thrives in USDA Zones 3 - 11

• Direct Sow

  2 weeks after last frost, soil 65°F+

• Harvest

  65 - 90 days; harvest fresh when pods are plump and pale green, or leave to dry for storage

• Install trellises or bamboo poles before planting pole varieties to avoid disturbing roots later.

• Let some plants fully dry on the vine in autumn to harvest dry limas for winter storage.

• After harvest, cut plants at ground level rather than pulling to leave nitrogen-fixing roots intact.

• Use insect netting during early growth to protect seedlings from bean beetle damage.

• Watering

  If the top 2 inches of soil feel dry, a deep watering at the base may help more than frequent light watering. In healthy soil, rain may cover much of what it needs.

• Feeding

  Extra feeding is rarely required if soil is healthy. If growth looks pale or slow, a light compost top-dressing is often enough before adding anything stronger.

• Seasonal care

  During the main season, harvesting when the crop is ready and removing damaged growth can help keep the planting productive if it starts to look crowded or tired.

• Fordhook 242

  Reliable bush lima with large, meaty beans; heat-tolerant and widely adaptable; the standard bush lima for American gardens.

  Best for

  fresh eating, freezing, beginners

• Henderson

  Small-seeded baby lima; compact bush plant with high productivity and good heat tolerance.

  Best for

  short seasons, canning, baby limas

• King of the Garden

  Vigorous pole variety with very large pods and beans; exceptional productivity in warm climates; classic heirloom.

  Best for

  warm zones, large harvests, long season

• Christmas

  Large-seeded heirloom pole lima with beautiful cream beans splashed with red; rich, chestnut-like flavor.

  Best for

  fresh eating, drying, ornamental appeal

• Jackson Wonder

  Compact bush variety with speckled seeds; good heat and drought tolerance; popular in southern gardens.

  Best for

  hot climates, dry conditions

• Mexican Bean Beetle
• Aphids
• Bean Leaf Beetle
• Spider Mites
• Deer

Origin

Independently domesticated in the Andes of Peru and in Mesoamerica approximately 2,000 years ago.

Native Habitat

Wild relatives grow in tropical and subtropical forests and thickets of Mexico, Central America, and the Andes.

Current Distribution

Cultivated throughout tropical and warm-temperate regions worldwide; major production in the United States, Peru, and parts of Africa.

Kingdom

Plantae

Family

Legume family (Fabaceae)

Genus

Phaseolus

Species

lunatus

• Root System

  Fibrous roots with nitrogen-fixing nodules; roots form close to the surface and dislike any disturbance.

• Stem

  Bush varieties form compact, self-supporting plants 18 - 24 inches tall; pole varieties produce vigorous twining vines reaching 6 - 10 feet.

• Leaves

  Compound trifoliate leaves similar to common beans; smooth to slightly hairy; medium green.

• Flowers

  Small white to pale purple flowers held in clusters; self-pollinating.

• Fruit

  Flattened pods 2.5 - 4 inches long; bright green when immature, turning yellow-tan as seeds mature; seeds are large, flat, and kidney-shaped.

Phaseolus lunatus was independently domesticated twice: once in the Andes of Peru approximately 2,000 years ago producing the large-seeded "Lima" type, and once in Mesoamerica producing the smaller-seeded "Sieva" type. The Lima type is named for Lima, Peru, and was introduced to Europe by Spanish colonists in the 16th century; the Sieva type likely reached North America via Caribbean trade routes, where it became the butter bean of American southern gardens. Thomas Jefferson grew lima beans at Monticello, noting them in his Garden Book in 1809. For most of European horticultural history the lima bean was valued primarily in tropical and subtropical climates where common beans struggled - its tolerance for heat and humidity gave it a distinct ecological niche in warm American gardens.