Jessie Keith
Family
Fabaceae
Botanical Name
Phaseolus lunatus
Plant Common Name
Lima Bean
General Description
Originating from Central America and the Andes mountains of South America, lima beans have been cultivated for thousands of years by native peoples of the Americas. These legumes are valued for their pods of tasty, nutritious seeds which are typically broad, flattened and somewhat kidney-shaped. They were introduced to the Eastern Hemishpere during the Spanish occupation of South America in the 16th century. During this time boxes of the beans marked “Lima – Peru”, for their country of origin, were exported to European countries, giving this vegetable its nickname. Lima beans, sometimes also called butter beans, now occupy a prominent place in the cuisines of cultures around the globe.
In their native habitat, lima beans are perennial, herbaceous, twining vines; however, they are almost always treated as annuals in cultivation. Their broad, oval, pointed foliage is borne in groups of three smaller leaflets. Small flowers are borne in loose clusters and may be white to off-white, with a rounded hood of petals above smaller petals that form a lower lip. The blossoms are self-fertile, and pollinated by bees and other insects. They are followed by flattish, elongated pods containing a neat row of plump, meaty seeds. These may range considerably in size and shape, from small and rounded to flat and quite large. They are often white, but may also be black, orange, red or even bicolored. The seeds may be eaten when immature and green in color, or allowed to mature and dry to be stored and eaten at a later date.
The outer pods and raw seeds of lima beans, especially those of wild plants, contain compounds called cyanogenic glycosides, which are poisonous to humans. The seeds require soaking and boiling to remove the compounds, rendering them safe for consumption. Although many modern cultivars, particularly white-seeded varieties, have fewer of these poisonous compounds, lima beans of any kind should never be eaten raw, and their outer pods are usually not eaten at all.
Modern lima beans exist in both bush and climbing forms. Bush varieties typically bear earlier than climbing types, usually around 65 days from sowing, but with smaller yields over a shorter period of time. Climbing varieties bear more heavily over a longer season, and are typically ready for picking around 85 days from sowing. Their twining stems require a trellis, bamboo teepee or other means of support.
These vegetables are heat-loving plants which require full sun, and are best suited to areas with long, warm growing seasons. They are not tolerant of chilly, damp conditions, and should be planted when the soil remains consistently warm, at least two weeks after the last expected frost date. Sow seeds at a depth of three to four times their thickness and approximately a hand’s length apart, in rows spaced widely enough for easy access. Fertile, loamy, well-drained soils are best. For fresh beans, harvest when the pods are still green and the seeds have begun to swell. For dried beans, the pods may be left on the vines until the seeds inside rattle when the plants are shaken.
