Lima beans

Lima beans are native to the tropical Americas, where wild Phaseolus lunatus populations occur across a broad range. Genetic and archaeological evidence indicates that people domesticated the species more than once, producing major Mesoamerican and Andean lineages rather than a crop with one simple birthplace.

The familiar name comes from Lima, Peru, an important point of association and trade for the bean. That label helped connect the crop with Peru in international markets, but it should not be mistaken for proof that every cultivated lima bean originated near the modern city. Large-seeded forms are especially associated with the Andean lineage, while many smaller-seeded types trace to Mesoamerican domestication.

Indigenous farmers selected lima beans for seed size, flavor, productivity, and adaptation to local climates. The crop spread through the Americas well before European colonization and later traveled farther through colonial trade networks. It became established in parts of Africa and Asia, where it remains an important food and field crop.

Today lima beans are grown both for tender green seeds and as mature dry beans. California is the leading center of U.S. dry lima bean production, while the crop is also cultivated across Latin America and in countries such as Madagascar and Myanmar. Its history is best understood not as a straight line from Lima, but as the combined legacy of several ancient farming traditions.