Cloud Lima represents four distinct lines of perennial and annual lima beans. This collection combines the thicket bean-Phaseolus polystachios, and three types of hybrid crosses using the true lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus. This was a process taking upwards of two decades of growing the thicket bean and eventually creating a hybrid cross using the pollinators in my area and overlapping the flowering times. This brought forward the pink flowered lima beans in the process signaling I was partially successful at creating a perennial bean from seed. The populations from these plants did not immediately have perennial tendencies until 2022 when a few started showing through in the progeny and reproducing at that time. On average, it takes two years for a perennial bean to fruit so patience is needed. Eventually perennialness becomes a larger part of the population every succeeding generation.
The overall result was much more pronounced in terms of variation in the lima bean family as the crosses grew and produced at my farm. If you think about it, lima beans do not need improving in any way but there are a few characteristics that would be useful in terms of cultivation and long term goals like perennialness. Few people even know or grow the lima bean unless they have tried it in a frozen vegetable mix in the store. There is far more culinary selections in the Cloud Lima beans than I thought possible. One of them is finding a smaller and quicker cooking bean. I would like to see lima in the same place as soy is. The Cloud Lima collection brings out the very first selections from my plantings that could change the trajectory of the use of the lima bean while making it the first perennial protein bean crop.
Lima beans are delicious. They are the butter beans after all. The issue becomes what are the yields and how can this great plant be harnessed in the north with a short season with an early drying time before harvest. Cloud Lima will allow you to continue the quest for the perennial lima bean on a small 10 ft. long trellis as well keep the perennial wild bean alive and well in cultivation.
Free Shipping. Comes with reusable labels with copper wire. Seed packets are packed in a 4 by 6 burlap bag with drawstring. Helps you imagine you are the real Jack and the Beanstalk.
