'Garelick Family' Lima Bean

Phaseolus lunatus

Origin: Fayette County, Kentucky

Improvement status: Landrace

Seeds per packet: ~20

Germination tested 12/2023: 80%

Life cycle: Annual

'Garelick Family' is an Appalachian heirloom pole Lima said to have been brought to Louisiana and then back to Appalachia. It comes from Fayette County, Kentucky, and found its way to us via Kris Hubbard. The sprawling climbing plants produce beautiful beans which are considerably smaller than most Limas (other than "baby" types). The seeds are white with light to heavy black or brown dappling on one half and solid color around the hilum (belly-button). This is a rare variety that few have grown outside of Kentucky.

Our seed was grown by Univerity of Kentucky PhD student Christian Keeve, a member of Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance whom we met through our association with Truelove Seeds.