(95 days) Open-pollinated. Pole type. Searching for a pole lima that will actually ripen in the Northeast? We’ve picked a beauty! Vigorous vines produce large 4" pods with 3 huge flat beans, white with a splotch of punctate mulberry-purple speckles that turn burgundy as beans dry. Delicious!—tender, sweet and delightfully beany, nothing like the frozen or canned limas you were forced to eat as a kid. Through multiple trial years they have yielded well, even through long stretches of drought and high heat. Bred by Mrs. Winfield of Painted Post, NY, in the early 1940s and introduced to the seed trade in 1953 by the Billy Hepler Seed Company, which Hepler started at age 12 with help from his father. After his father died in 1962, Hepler’s inventory was sold to Farmer Seed & Nursery Company of Fairbault, MN, which sold the bean as North Pole Lima in its 1965 catalog. ① BACK!
Winfield Lima Bean - Sustainably Grown
Winfield Lima Bean - Sustainably Grown
(95 days) Open-pollinated. Pole type. Searching for a pole lima that will actually ripen in the Northeast? We’ve picked a beauty! Vigorous vines produce large 4" pods with 3 huge flat beans, white with a splotch of punctate mulberry-purple speckles that turn burgundy as beans dry. Delicious!—tender, sweet and delightfully beany, nothing like the frozen or canned limas you were forced to eat as a kid. Through multiple trial years they have yielded well, even through long stretches of drought and high heat. Bred by Mrs. Winfield of Painted Post, NY, in the early 1940s and introduced to the seed trade in 1953 by the Billy Hepler Seed Company, which Hepler started at age 12 with help from his father. After his father died in 1962, Hepler’s inventory was sold to Farmer Seed & Nursery Company of Fairbault, MN, which sold the bean as North Pole Lima in its 1965 catalog. ① BACK!
Additional Information
Lima Beans
- About 30-60 seeds/oz.
- Days to maturity are from seeding date
Originally from Peru where they were cultivated 4,000 years ago by the Lima culture.
Culture: Lima beans require more heat than bush beans and are indifferent performers in cold wet summers. Minimum soil temperature 60°, optimal range 70–85°. Tender, will not survive frost. Plant 3–4 seeds/ft in rows 24–30" apart. Plant as other bush or pole beans. Bush limas can be prone to twining (developing viny tendrils). Harvest at shelling stage when beans bulge in fading pliable pods, before pods start to dry out. Pick frequently for maximum yields, but avoid disturbing foliage in wet weather to prevent spread of fungal diseases.
Germination Testing
For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.
Our Seeds are Non-GMO
All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.