Lima Beans
A warm-season legume producing large, flat, buttery beans that are nutritious fresh or dried for winter storage.
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Meet Lima Beans
A warm-season legume producing large, flat, buttery beans that are nutritious fresh or dried for winter storage. Lima beans need warm soil of at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit for germination and are very frost-sensitive. Bush varieties produce a concentrated harvest while pole types yield over a longer period with proper trellising. Shell the beans when pods are plump but still green for the freshest flavor, or allow pods to dry on the vine for pantry storage.
When to plant Lima Beans
Direct sow lima beans outdoors after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed to at least 65°F. Do not start indoors, as lima beans resent root disturbance during transplanting. Sow seeds 1-2 inches deep with the eye facing downward and the concave side down. Inoculate with appropriate Rhizobium bacteria if planting in soil where limas have not grown before. Space bush types 4-6 inches apart in rows 24 inches wide, and pole types 6-8 inches apart with sturdy trellising. Seeds germinate in 7-14 days. Do not soak seeds before planting, as this can cause cracking.
Your Lima Beans Year
Composed for Zone 7 · typical seasons · frost passes Apr 2, returns Nov 1
Sow Lima Beans May – Jun, pick Aug – Oct. Set your climate below and every date on this plate re-times itself.
How to grow Lima Beans
Lima beans are strictly warm-season crops that will not germinate in cold soil. Wait until soil temperatures reach at least 65°F, typically 2-3 weeks after the last frost date. Sow seeds 1-2 inches deep with the eye facing downward, spacing bush types 4-6 inches apart and pole types 6-8 inches apart in rows 24-30 inches wide.
Provide sturdy trellising for pole varieties, which can reach 8-10 feet tall. Bush varieties are more compact at 2-3 feet and need no support. Lima beans prefer full sun and moderate, consistent moisture during flowering and pod development. Avoid overhead watering, which can cause blossom drop and fungal diseases.
Inoculate seeds with Rhizobium bacteria specific to lima beans at planting to maximize nitrogen fixation. Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Lima beans are sensitive to temperature extremes, with blossoms dropping when temperatures exceed 90°F or drop below 60°F during flowering. In hot climates, plant early enough for pods to set before the peak of summer heat.
128 plants fit a 4 × 8 ft bed
Each Lima Beans wants 15 cm of elbow room. The planner keeps that spacing for you — every plant, every bed.
Lima Beans's best neighbours
Lima beans grow well with corn, which provides a natural trellis for pole varieties in a classic Three Sisters planting. Cucumbers, squash, and potatoes are compatible neighbors. Marigolds planted nearby help repel bean beetles. Avoid planting near onions, garlic, and other alliums, which can inhibit bean growth. Do not plant near fennel, which has allelopathic effects on most legumes. Summer savory planted alongside beans is said to improve flavor and repel bean weevils.
Corn belongs beside it. Onion doesn't.
Old growers' knowledge, checked against Lima Beans's real companion table below — test any plant you're growing.
Related growing guides
Feed it well
Lima beans prefer well-drained, fertile soil with a pH of 6.0-6.8. As nitrogen-fixing legumes, they do not need heavy nitrogen fertilization. Apply a low-nitrogen, higher-phosphorus fertilizer (5-10-10) at planting to support root development and pod production. Inoculate seeds with appropriate Rhizobium bacteria to maximize nitrogen fixation. Excessive nitrogen causes lush foliage with few pods. Add compost to improve soil structure and drainage. Calcium is important for pod development; apply lime if soil pH is below 6.0.
Ideal Temperature
Hardiness Zone Compatibility
From seed to harvest, stage by stage
Germination
Large seeds absorb moisture and swell in warm soil, sending down a thick radicle root before the sturdy hypocotyl pushes the heavy cotyledon leaves above the surface. Lima beans require soil temperatures of at least 18°C (65°F) for reliable germination and will rot in cold, wet conditions.
Seedling Development
The first trifoliate true leaves unfold above the large cotyledons. The root system develops rapidly, and nitrogen-fixing root nodules begin forming if Rhizobium bacteria are present in the soil. Seedlings are highly frost-sensitive at this stage.
Vegetative Growth
Bush varieties develop a compact, branching habit reaching 45-60 cm tall. Pole varieties begin climbing vigorously, producing long twining stems that can reach 2.5-3 meters. Foliage becomes dense and lush as the plant builds the energy reserves needed for flowering.
Flowering
Clusters of small white to pale lavender flowers appear in the leaf axils. Lima bean flowers are self-pollinating but highly sensitive to temperature — blossoms drop when temperatures exceed 32°C (90°F) or fall below 16°C (60°F). Each flower cluster can potentially set 2-4 pods.
Pod Development
Flat, curved pods develop from pollinated flowers, gradually swelling as the beans inside enlarge. Pods turn from slim and flat to plump and slightly bumpy as individual beans reach full size. The beans are visible through the thin pod wall when ready for fresh harvest.
Harvest and Dry-Down
For fresh use, pods are harvested green and shelled immediately. For dry storage, pods remain on the plant until completely brown and papery, then the entire plant can be pulled and hung to finish drying. Bush varieties produce a concentrated harvest while pole types continue yielding for several weeks.
Plant seeds 2.5-5 cm deep with the eye facing downward. Do not soak seeds before planting — unlike most beans, lima bean seeds crack easily when pre-soaked. Maintain soil warmth and even moisture without waterlogging.
Caring for Lima Beans month by month
What to do each month for your Lima Beans
July
You are herePlants are in active growth and beginning to flower. Maintain consistent soil moisture — 2.5 cm per week minimum. Avoid overhead irrigation during flowering to prevent blossom drop. Watch for Mexican bean beetles and handpick adults and egg masses.
Know exactly what to do in your garden — every month
One email at the start of each month: what to sow, plant, and tackle right now — for your Lima Beans and everything growing around it. Plus a short starter course that helps you dodge the classic mistakes.
- What to do, right now
- Matched to your season
- Starter course included
Harvesting Lima Beans
For fresh shelling beans, harvest when pods are plump, bright green, and the beans inside are visible through the pod wall. The beans should be tender and light green, not starchy. For dried lima beans, allow pods to remain on the plant until they turn brown and papery, then pull entire plants and hang upside down to finish drying. Shell fresh beans by snapping off the stem end and squeezing the pod open. Harvest regularly to encourage continued production on pole varieties.
assuming you sow when the window opens — set your real date
Pick Lima Beans promptly and the plant keeps producing.
Storage & Preservation
Fresh-shelled lima beans keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. For freezing, blanch shelled beans for 2-3 minutes depending on size, cool in ice water, drain, and freeze in a single layer before bagging. Frozen limas keep for up to 12 months. For dry storage, allow beans to dry completely on the vine or on screens until they rattle in the pod, then store in airtight jars in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Properly dried lima beans should shatter cleanly when hit with a hammer.
What goes wrong — and the fix
Mexican Bean Beetle
PestSkeletonized leaves with only the veins remaining, yellow egg clusters on leaf undersides, and spiny yellow larvae.
Downy Mildew
DiseaseWhite to gray fuzzy patches on pod surfaces and leaf undersides, with yellowing and stunting of affected plant parts.
Lima Bean Pod Borer
PestSmall holes in pods with frass, damaged beans inside pods, and caterpillars boring into developing seeds.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Blossom drop is the most common frustration, caused by temperatures above 90°F or below 60°F during flowering. Planting too early in cold soil leads to poor germination and seed rot. Lima beans are highly sensitive to wet feet and will develop root rot in waterlogged conditions. Poor pod fill can result from inadequate pollination, drought stress during flowering, or extreme heat. Cracked or tough-skinned beans indicate harvest was too late. In short-season areas, choose bush varieties that mature in 65-75 days.
Growing Tips
- Do not rush planting. Lima beans are more cold-sensitive than common green beans. Wait until soil temperatures are genuinely at 18°C (65°F) or warmer — use a soil thermometer rather than guessing. Seeds planted in cold soil will rot rather than germinate.
- Unlike common beans, do not soak lima bean seeds before planting. The large, flat seeds absorb water rapidly and the seed coat cracks easily, leading to poor germination or damaged embryos. Plant dry seeds directly into moist, warm soil.
- Inoculate seeds with Phaseolus-specific Rhizobium bacteria, especially if lima beans have not been grown in that bed within the past 3-4 years. Proper inoculation dramatically improves nitrogen fixation, plant vigor, and yields.
- Pole lima beans are significantly more productive than bush types but require very sturdy support. Vines can reach 3 meters and carry heavy pod loads. Use strong wooden poles, thick wire trellises, or cattle panel arches — lightweight structures will collapse under the weight.
- Blossom drop is the number one frustration with lima beans. It is caused almost exclusively by temperature stress — either too hot (above 32°C / 90°F) or too cool (below 16°C / 60°F) during flowering. Time your planting so flowering occurs during the mildest part of summer in your area.
- Water consistently during flowering and pod fill, providing at least 2.5 cm per week. Drought stress during these critical stages causes poor pod set and shriveled beans. Drip irrigation is ideal as it avoids wetting foliage, which promotes disease.
- Harvest fresh shelling beans when pods are plump and the individual bean shapes are clearly visible through the pod wall. Do not wait until pods yellow — at that point the beans become starchy and lose their delicate, buttery fresh flavor.
- After the final harvest, cut plants at the soil surface rather than pulling them out. Leave the nitrogen-rich root nodules in the soil to decompose and release fixed nitrogen for the next crop. Lima bean roots can add meaningful nitrogen equivalent to a light fertilizer application.
Pick your Lima Beans
Fordhook 242
The classic bush lima with large, thick, buttery beans. Heat-tolerant and productive with excellent flavor fresh or frozen.
Henderson Bush
A compact bush variety producing small, tender baby limas. Very productive and earlier maturing than large-seeded types.
King of the Garden
A vigorous pole variety with very large beans. Requires trellising but produces heavy yields over a long harvest period.
Christmas Lima
A striking pole variety with large, flat beans speckled in maroon and cream. Rich, chestnut-like flavor when cooked.
A packet of lima bean seeds costing $3-5 provides 30-50 seeds, enough for a substantial planting. Each pole plant can yield $5-10 worth of fresh shelled limas at farmers market prices of $5-8 per pound. A row of 10-15 pole plants can easily produce $50-100 worth of fresh beans plus additional dried beans for winter storage. Dried lima beans from the store cost $3-5 per pound, and a small garden patch can produce 5-10 pounds of dried beans — a significant pantry savings.
Quick recipes
Classic American Succotash
25 minThe quintessential American dish combining fresh lima beans with sweet corn, originally adapted from a Narragansett recipe. Simple, wholesome, and the ideal way to showcase freshly shelled garden limas at their buttery best.
8 ingredientsCreamy Lima Bean and Garlic Dip
15 minA smooth, velvety dip made from cooked lima beans blended with roasted garlic and lemon — a protein-rich alternative to hummus that highlights the natural creaminess of limas.
7 ingredientsSlow-Simmered Lima Beans with Ham Hock
15 min active + 90 min simmerA deeply comforting Southern classic where dried lima beans simmer low and slow with a smoked ham hock until they become meltingly tender and infused with smoky richness.
8 ingredientsCulinary Uses
Fresh lima beans have a delicate, buttery flavor that is far superior to dried or frozen varieties. Simmer fresh shelled beans briefly in salted water until tender. Dried limas benefit from overnight soaking and slow cooking in soups, stews, and casseroles. Succotash, a classic American dish, combines lima beans with corn. Limas are excellent in bean salads, dips, and purees. Baby limas are more tender and cook faster than large varieties.
What's inside
Health Benefits
- Lima beans are an outstanding source of plant-based protein (7.8g per 100g cooked), providing essential amino acids that complement grains to form complete proteins — making them especially valuable in vegetarian and vegan diets.
- Exceptionally high in dietary fiber (7g per 100g cooked), lima beans support digestive health, promote satiety, and help regulate blood sugar by slowing glucose absorption after meals.
- Rich in molybdenum, a trace mineral essential for enzyme function in sulfite detoxification and purine metabolism — a single cup of cooked limas provides over 100% of the daily value.
- Contain significant iron (2.4mg per 100g cooked), which supports oxygen transport and energy metabolism. The non-heme iron in lima beans is best absorbed when eaten alongside vitamin C-rich foods like tomatoes or bell peppers.
- Provide potassium (508mg per 100g cooked), supporting healthy blood pressure regulation and cardiovascular function — a nutrient most adults do not consume in adequate amounts.
- Lima beans are a good source of folate (83mcg per 100g cooked), critical for cell division, DNA repair, and neural tube development during pregnancy.
Where Lima Beans comes from
Lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus) have two independent centers of domestication in the Americas. The large-seeded Andean type was domesticated in what is now Peru around 6,000-7,000 years ago, while the small-seeded Mesoamerican type was independently domesticated in present-day Mexico and Guatemala around 3,000-5,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence from the Guitarrero Cave in Peru shows lima bean remains dating to approximately 6,800 BCE, making them one of the oldest cultivated crops in the Western Hemisphere.
The Inca, Moche, and other pre-Columbian civilizations cultivated lima beans extensively as a protein-rich staple food. The Moche people of northern Peru (100-700 CE) were so closely associated with lima beans that they decorated their ceramics with intricate lima bean motifs, using the beans' natural patterning as design elements. Spanish conquistadors encountered the large-seeded Andean lima bean in Lima, Peru in the 1500s and gave the bean its common English name after the city. From there, Spanish and Portuguese traders carried lima beans along colonial trade routes to Africa, Asia, and the Philippines.
Lima beans arrived in North America both through indigenous trade networks spreading the Mesoamerican type northward and through European colonial introduction of the Andean type. By the 1700s, lima beans were a well-established crop in the southeastern United States. The Fordhook variety, developed by W. Atlee Burpee in the early 1900s, became the American standard and is still one of the most widely grown cultivars today. Today, the United States, Peru, Myanmar, and Madagascar are major producers, with California's Central Valley being the primary commercial growing region in the US. Lima beans remain an important subsistence crop throughout tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Lima Beans: did you know?
Fascinating facts about Lima Beans
Lima beans are named after Lima, Peru, where Spanish explorers first encountered them in the 16th century — but archaeological evidence shows they were cultivated in Mesoamerica and South America for at least 7,000 years before European contact.
Lima Beans questions, answered
When should I plant Lima Beans?
What are good companion plants for Lima Beans?
What hardiness zones can Lima Beans grow in?
How much sun does Lima Beans need?
How far apart should I space Lima Beans?
What pests and diseases affect Lima Beans?
How do I store Lima Beans after harvest?
What are the best Lima Beans varieties to grow?
What soil does Lima Beans need?
Why are my lima bean blossoms falling off without setting pods?
What is the difference between bush and pole lima beans?
Can I eat lima beans raw?
Why are my lima bean seeds rotting in the ground instead of germinating?
How do I save lima bean seeds for next year?
Do lima beans fix nitrogen in the soil like other legumes?
You just read the theory. Now grow it on autopilot.
Everything that makes Lima Beans fiddly — the timing, the spacing, the companions, the harvest window — is exactly what PlotMyGarden handles for you, for every plant in your garden.
A plan that knows your weather
Set your location once. Get sow, feed and harvest dates built around your real last-frost date and live forecast — no more guessing from a generic seed packet.
From the “When to plant” sectionDrag-and-drop bed planner
Design beds on a grid. Every plant snaps to its proper spacing, and you can see your whole season laid out before you spend a cent on seed.
From the “Growing guide” sectionCompanion conflicts, caught early
200+ good-and-bad pairings checked live as you plant — so a season-wrecking mistake never makes it into the ground.
From the “Companions” sectionReminders you'll actually act on
“Water the beans.” “Pick today before it turns.” Timely, specific, and tied to the plants you're really growing.
From the “Harvest” sectionSuccession, scheduled
Want a harvest for six weeks, not six days? It spaces your sowings automatically and reminds you when each new block is due.
From the “When to plant” sectionA record that gets smarter
Every harvest you log teaches it your garden. Next year's plan starts from what actually worked in your soil, not a textbook's.
From the “Overview” sectionPlant these alongside Lima Beans
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