Henderson Bush Lima Bean (Phaseolus lunatus) Lima Beans are named for the capital city of Peru where they were first discovered by the Spaniards. This early, drought tolerant bush lima bean was discovered growing on the side of the road by a civil war soldier returning home in 1883 to Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1888, Peter Henderson & Company offered the bean, noting it for being one of the first lima beans that did not require a support system. This heirloom is a very early, hardy, productive and disease resistant dwarf lima that grows in bush form producing three or four buttery tasting lima seeds per pod. They are light green when ripe or white when dry. Productive and popular for the home vegetable garden, good for dry or canned.
50 days shell - 70 days dry to maturity
40 seeds per packetÂ
Planting Instructions: Lima beans are warm-season, climbing or bush-type legumes known for their buttery, tender seeds. Plant seeds 1–1.5 inches deep. Space bush varieties about 4–6 inches apart in rows 18–24 inches apart. For pole varieties, space seeds 4–6 inches apart at the base of a trellis, fence, or support, with rows 24 inches apart if planting multiple rows. They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, producing abundant pods over the summer. Pole varieties require trellises or other supports, while bush types grow compactly. Regular harvesting of young pods encourages continued production and flavourful beans.
