What Type of Bean Plant Has a Tree-Like Stalk, Broad Leaves & Yellow Flowers?

Characteristics

• Bush lima beans, which are grown as annuals, require a longer growth period than other bean types --- around 65 days to maturity, depending on the variety. The cream or yellow flowers of lima beans grow in loose, open racemes, or clusters, composed of very small, nectar-rich blossoms. The plants are self-pollinating, meaning that they do not need another lima plant nearby to produce beans. After pollination, 2- to 6-inch-long bean-filled pods form. These can be harvested fresh, when the pods are light green and swollen, or dry, when the pods have turned brown.

History

• Phaseolus contains more than 20 species, all New World natives. Lima beans are tropical plants, native to Peru, where they have been cultivated for food for thousands of years. The first bush lima beans grown in the United States were introduced in 1917 by the W. Atlee Burpee Company in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Propagated from beans found growing on a nearby farm, these "Fordhook" lima beans are still in circulation.

Varieties

• Fordhooks, which are sometimes also called "baby" limas, are probably the most popular among home and commercial growers. Heirloom varieties are still available from various vendors. Bush lima varieties include "Henderson Bush" and "Jackson Wonder," featuring individual beans speckled with purple, and "White Dixie Baby Butterbeans." "Butterpea" types, with small beans, are among other favorite varieties, especially in the southern United States.

Uses

• Fresh lima beans can be cooked, boiled briefly and eaten in salads and vegetable side dishes such as succotash (limas and corn). Their buttery flavor and soft, starchy texture also make them a favorite for mashing. Fresh beans can be preserved by freezing or by air-drying on large trays. Dried limas are used in many of the same ways as other types of dried beans --- in soups, stews and casseroles. The beans are high in protein.