Fordhook 242 Lima Bean

Phaseolus lunatus 'Fordhook 242'

vegetable

Fordhook 242 is the benchmark bush lima, or butterbean, and an All-America Selections winner that made limas easy for home gardeners by needing no trellis. The compact 16 to 20 inch plants are early, heavy-bearing, and heat-resilient for a Fordhook, setting broad pods over large, plump, pale-green seeds with a rich, creamy texture. It is a warm-season annual that wants the same conditions as snap beans but a bit more heat and a longer season. Like all beans it fixes nitrogen, so it asks little in the way of feeding.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Corn — The traditional Three Sisters partner - cornstalks offer light support and share the warm-season bed while the beans feed the soil
• Cucumber — A sprawling companion that uses ground space the upright bush limas leave open
• Marigold — Helps deter bean beetles and suppress nematodes around the planting

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Mexican bean beetle →

  Coppery beetles and spiny larvae skeletonize leaves - hand-pick adults and egg clusters, use row cover early, and encourage predatory beneficials

• Aphids →

  Rinse colonies from growing tips and encourage ladybugs; treat heavy infestations with insecticidal soap

• Spider mites →

  A hot, dry-season pest - rinse the foliage and avoid drought stress

• White mold →

  A soilborne fungus in damp, crowded plots - space for airflow, rotate crops, and avoid overhead watering

🌾 Harvest & storage

Fordhook 242 is ready in about 72 to 75 days for fresh shelling. Pick when the pods are firm, plump, and bright, with the seeds clearly rounded inside but the pod still green - usually 4 to 8 inches long. Shell the beans for fresh use, or leave pods to dry on the plant for dry beans. Important: always cook lima beans thoroughly and never eat them raw (see the safety note); discard the cooking water.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Cooked lima beans offer about 115 calories per 100 g with around 7.8 g protein, a high 7 g fiber, and a standout 500-plus mg potassium, plus iron, magnesium, and folate. Creamy and filling, they are excellent in soups, succotash, and stews - cooked, never raw.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Raw lima beans contain natural cyanogenic compounds (linamarin) that release cyanide if eaten uncooked. Always cook lima beans thoroughly before eating and discard the cooking water - proper cooking makes them completely safe. Never eat raw or undercooked lima beans.