Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America – Bean, Lima

Lists 1-27 Combined

Edited by James Nienhuis and Michell E. Sass

Department of Horticulture
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI 53706
and James R. Myers
Department of Horticulture
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331-7304

Allgreen – Breeder and vendor: Corneli Seed Co., St. Louis. Parentage: selection of Early Thorogreen. Characteristics: high percentage of dark green cotyledons that retain color well. Adaptation: all lima bean areas. Corneli Catalog. no. 15. 1951.

Baby Fordhook – Breeder: U.S. Dept. Agr., Beltsville, Md. Parentage: Fordhook x Henderson. Characteristics: smaller plant, pods, and beans than regular Fordhook with plump high-quality Fordhook seed. Resistance: high temperature. Similar: Small Fordhook. Adaptation: wide regional. Seed World Jan. 28, 1938.

Bixby (Okla. 8-2) – Breeder: Oklahoma A and M. College, Stillwater, Okla. Vendor: Corneli Seed Co. and other seedsmen. Parentage: Henderson Bush and Fordhook. Characteristics: bush, more dense than Henderson’s, one week later in maturity, seed plumper, slightly larger, plumper and shorter pods than Henderson’s. Resistance: root knot; tolerance to heat. Similar: Henderson’s Bush. Adaptation: wide, especially to southern and southwestern United States. Rpt. Informal Lima Trials 1948-1952.

Burpee’s Big 6 – Breeder and vendor: W. Atlee Burpee Co., Philadelphia. Characteristics: longest podded pole lima, 6 to 7 inches long, with usually six large, medium-thick beans per pod; good quality producer. Similar: Burpee’s Giant Podded. Adaptation: rather wide. Burpee Catalog 1950.

Burpee’s Supergreen – Breeder and vendor: W. Atlee Burpee Co., Philadelphia. Characteristics: 18-inch bush, pods 3 inches long with three to four small beans that retain their green color to maturity. Similar: Baby Fordhook. Adaptation: lima sections of the western United States. Burpee Catalog 1942-46.

Bush Florida Butter – Breeder and vendor: Ben Fish and Son. PVP 7300045.

Buttergreen – Breeder and vendor: Corneli Seed Co., St. Louis. Parentage: Allgreen x Dixie Butterpea White. Characteristics: plump, green cotyledon; heat tolerant. Adaptation: all lima bean areas. Corneli Catalog no. 15. 1962.

C-Elite – Breeder and vendor: Ben Fish and Son. PVP 7605001.

Clark’s Bush – Breeder and vendor: Associated Seed Growers, New Haven, Conn. Parentage: green-seeded selection from Henderson Bush. Characteristics: Henderson bush type plant, but green seeded. Similar: Henderson. Adaptation: wide. 1941.

Cowey Red – Breeder: Mr. Cowey, a private gardener, York, Maine. Vendor: Billy Hepler Seed Co. Parentage: selection from Hendersons Lima. Characteristics: dark-red seed coat color. Resistance: cold weather, decay in the soil. Adaptation: northern New Hampshire. 1946.

Dompe 95 – Breeder and vendor: Ben Fish and Son. PVP 8000094.

Dover (G 1) – Breeder: USDA. Parentage: Thaxter x Piloy. Characteristics: 5 to 10 days later than Thaxter. Resistance: downy mildew strains A and B. Similar: Thaxter. Seed World Jan. 1970.

Early Baby Potato – Breeder: Univ. of Illinois, Urbana. Vendor: Asgrow. Parentage: chance cross Henderson Bush. Characteristics: all early strain of Baby Potato. Similar: Small Fordhook. Adaptation: national regional. Asgrow Catalogs. 1940.

Early Market – Breeder: U.S. Dept. Agr. Beltsville, Md. Parentage: six generations of selections from Early Giant. Characteristics: slightly smaller pods but earlier and more productive than Burpee Bush; earliest of large flat cultivars. Similar: Burpee Bush. Adaptation: wide regional. Southern Seedsman Dec. 1, 1944. 1945.

Early Thorogreen – Breeder and vendor: Ben Fish and Son, Santa Barbara, Calf. Parentage: Thorogreen x Henderson Bush. Characteristics: hardiness; yield; concentrated pod set; good green cotyledon at mature fresh stage; bred for fresh canners and freezers. Resistance: weather shocks affecting pod set. Similar: Clark’s Bush. Adaptation: all lima bean processing areas.

Easy Shell – Breeder: Louisiana Agr. Expt. Sta., Baton Rouge. Vendor: Reuter Seed Co. Parentage: Fordhook x Carolina Sieva. Characteristics: shells very easily, good quality. Resistance: heat. Similar: Carolina Sieva. Adaptation: regional; southern US.

Evergreen – Breeder and vendor: Associated Seed Growers, New Haven, Conn. Characteristics: distinctive, small, plump, Fordhook color and flavor in a Baby type. Adaptation: areas with long seasons. 1949.

Fire Chief (E 5209) – Breeder and vendor: Ferry-Morse Seed Co. Characteristics: tolerant to canker due to low soil boron, slow to become oversize, dark internal color. 1969.

Fordhook 242 – Breeder: U.S. Dept. Agr., Beltsville, Md. Parentage: six generations of selections from Regular Fordhook obtained from L.C. Curtis. Similar: Concentrated Fordhook. Characteristics: larger plant than Conc. Fordhook but with slightly smaller beans, higher yielder, and more heat resistant than Conc. Fordhook good replacement for Conc. Fordhook and Regular Fordhook. Resistance: high temperature. Adaptation: wide regional. Southern Seedsman Nov. 1, 1944. 1945.

Fordhook Concentrated C2 (C2) – Breeder and vendor: Ferry-Morse Seed Co., Mountain View, Calif. Characteristics: concentrated set uniformity. Similar: Fordhook Bush. Adaptation: California. Ferry-Morse, 15 Apr. 1963.

Green Fordhook 861 (U.S. 861 Green Seeded Fordhook) – Breeder: USDA Res. Div., Beltsville, Md. Parentage: Plant Introduction No. 164155, Early Thorogreen, Concentrated Fordhook, Fordhook 242. Characteristics: plants compact, a few inches shorter and not as bushy as Fordhook 242, 13 to 16 inches tall with spread of 18 to 20 inches; racemes protrude slightly above foliage and shorter than Fordhook 242; first green seeded Fordhook cultivar released to trade. Resistance: downy mildew (strain A). Similar: Fordhook 242. Adaptation: Middle Atlantic Coastal area of US. Seed World. 1967.

Illinois Large Podded – Breeder: Univ. of Illinois, Urbana. Vendor: Asgrow Seed Co. Parentage: cross between two strains of Henderson Bush. Characteristics: an early version of Wood’s Prolific. Similar: Wood’s Prolific. Adaptation: regionally, wherever Wood’s Prolific can be grown. Asgrow Catalogs. 1940.

Limagreen – Breeder and vendor: Associated Seed Growers, New Haven, Conn. Parentage: Baby Potato x Clark’s Bush. Similar: Clark’s Bush. Characteristics: beans somewhat thicker than Clark’s Bush. Adaptation: wide. 1952.

Maffei 8 – Breeder and vendor: LD Maffei Seed Co., Inc. PVP 8100044.

Maffei 15 – Breeder and vendor: Agri Sales, Inc. PVP 8200005.

Maffei 57 – Breeder and vendor: LD Maffei Seed Co., Inc. PVP 8300058.

Maffei 76 – Breeder and vendor: LD Maffei Seed Co., Inc. PVP 7700005.

Maryland Thick Seeded – Breeder: Univ. of Maryland, College Park, and Oklahoma A and M, Stillwater. Vendor: F.H. Woodruff Co. Parentage: selected as a mutant individual in Henderson’s Bush. Characteristics: small seeded bush; seeds are plump, white, and squarish on ends, and five-sixth the size of Henderson; plants darker green and smaller than Henderson. Adaptation: regional; same as Henderson. 1942.

Mendoza – Breeder and vendor: Ben Fish and Son. PVP 7200055.

Merced – Breeder and vendor: Agri Sales, Inc. PVP 9800310 pending.

Nenagreen (U.S. 253) – Breeder: R.E. Wester, H.B. Cordner, and P.H Massey, Jr., USDA, Oklahoma Agr. Expt. Sta., and Virginia Polytechnic Inst., respectively. Parentage: Okla. 27 (nematode resistant) x Early Thorogreen, backcrossed once to Early Thorogreen. Resistance: nematodes. Similar: Early Thorogreen. Adaptation: nematode areas. Seed World, 1958 (spring issue).

Packers (ID263) – Breeder: Dr. G. Emery. Vendor: Ferry-Morse. Characteristics: earlier and more concentrated pod set than most Lima Beans; seeds lime green, smooth, medium small, but plump for a Sieva type Lima. Similar: Eastland. PVP. 1990.

Peerless – Breeder: U.S. Dept. Agr., Beltsville, Md. Parentage: Fordhook x Sieva. Characteristics: an intermediate Fordhook; resemblance between Fordhook and Henderson cultivar; cracked seed coats eliminated this cultivar. Resistance: heat. Adaptation: wide regional. Seed World 6 Dec. 1946.

Piloy – Breeder: USDA, Beltsville, Md. Parentage: plant introduction from Guatemala. Characteristics: for breeding purposes only, not recommended for commercial production; red- to pink-colored seed coat, vigorous bush. Resistance: downy mildew strains A and B. Similar: Jackson Wonder. Adaptation: short days. 1958.

Plump Champion – Breeder: Univ. of Illinois, Urbana. Vendor: Charter Seed Co. Parentage: field cross on Fordhook. Characteristics: plump white seeded type capable of setting in hot weather. Adaptation: regional; Corn Belt areas.

Spartan Freezer (MSU 65) – Breeder: Michigan State Agr. Expt. Sta., East Lansing. Parentage: Allgreen x Utah C. Characteristics: concentrated setting, plump green seed, superior flavor. Adaptation: northern United States. Mich. Agr. Expt. Sta. Quar. Bul. 50. 1969.

Sprigg – Breeder and vendor: Ben Fish and Son. PVP 7900042.

Thaxter – Breeder and vendor: USDA, Beltsville, Md., and Cornell Univ. Vegetable Res. Farm, Riverhead, Long Island, N.Y. Parentage: F7 of Early Thorogreen x PI 164155, backcrossed to Early Thorogreen three times. Characteristics: light yield. Resistance: downy mildew caused by Phytophthora phaseoli. Similar: Early Thorogreen. Adaptation: wide. Seed World 26 June, 1959.

Thorogreen Bush – Breeder and vendor: Ben Fish & Son, Santa Barbara, Calf. Parentage: selection from Henderson Bush Lima. Similar: Cangreen. Adaptation: all domestic and Canadian lima bean areas. 1941.

Triumph – Breeder: U.S. Dept. Agr., Beltsville, Md. Parentage: Fordhook x Sieva. Similar: Baby Fordhook. Characteristics: small, squatty plant with baby beans in tight pods. Resistance: high temperatures. Adaptation: very limited regional. 1949.

U.S. 255 – Breeder: USDA, Beltsville, Md. Parentage: Early Thorogreen x PI 164155 (downy mildew-resistant, color seeded, pole lima from India). Similar: Thorogreen and Clark’s Bush. Characteristics: vigorous growth plants. Resistance: downy mildew. Adaptation: wide. 1959.

Winfield – Breeder: Ms. Winfield, Painted Post, N.Y. Vendor: Billy Hepler Seed Co. Parentage: Cowey Lima x Christmas Lima. Characteristics: earliness, adaptation to cool weather, excellent canning and freezing qualities for the home garden; a pole lima that ripens seed in New Hampshire. Similar: Christmas Lima.