Henderson Bush Lima (Butter) Bean

Be sure to check out our Beans Growing Guide for more tips & tricks on successfully growing beans. 

Henderson Bush Lima (Butter) Bean is an heirloom, open-pollinated variety that has been grown in vegetable gardens since the 1880s. This is probably the most popular lima bean variety in existence. This lima/butter bean variety produces buttery-white beans that are delicious when shelled and eaten fresh. They can also be harvested as dry beans for long-term storage. Henderson Bush Lima Bean is widely adapted and grows well in a variety of growing zones. Production is early with prolific harvests throughout the growing season. It has a long harvest window and will continue to produce until the first frost in most regions.

Beans should be planted in spring after the last frost has occurred. Beans will germinate best once soil temps have reached 65 F or higher. Optimal germination temperature is around 77 F. Seeds can require 8 to 16 days to germinate, depending on the soil temperature. For continual production, succession plant every couple of weeks throughout the spring and early summer. Plants will drop blooms or cease production in the heat of summer. Subsequent succession plantings may be made in late summer/fall, as long as enough time is permitted before the first frost date.

Direct seeding is recommended. We suggest using a #6 plate on the Hoss Garden Seeder and modifying the hole size (if necessary) to fit the seed size. Beans should be planted relatively thick along the row and thinned to the desired spacing. To maximize garden space, consider using a double-row spacing. For double-row spacing, rows may be planted as close as 6" apart with 3' spacing between double rows. For single row spacing, 2' to 3' spacing is recommended.

Henderson Bush Lima (Butter) Bean Planting Information

Planting Method: direct sow

When to Plant: after last frost

Planting Depth: 1"

Seed Spacing: 3-4"

Row Spacing: 3'

Days to Maturity: 65

Disease Resistance: None