Kurzer's Calico Traveler Lima Bean is a pole lima that carries the story of two cultures and one man's dedication to preservation. Each plump seed is marbled with burgundy, purple, tan, and brown in patterns so distinctive they look hand-painted. Believed to have originated with the Choctaw people, this variety traveled across generations through the Trussell family in Mississippi before Michigan grower Doug Kurzer stewarded it to prominence, proving it thrives even in cooler northern climates. Reaching harvest in 90 days, it grows vigorously on trellises in zones 3 through 11.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-11
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Few lima beans carry as rich a human story as Kurzer's Calico Traveler, moving from Choctaw origins through a family's careful cultivation to becoming a beacon for northern gardeners tired of varieties that won't set in their cooler seasons. Each seed emerges as its own work of art, marbled in earth tones that catch the light as they dry. Doug Kurzer's decades of stewardship transformed what could have been a forgotten regional variety into proof that traditional limas can handle short-season growing when given the right stock.
Kurzer's Calico Traveler is grown for its dried beans, which are shelled and used in the classic preparations that limas have long occupied: succotash paired with corn, creamy lima bean soups, side dishes where the beans are simmered with aromatics, and slow-cooked stews. The beans' creamy texture and mild flavor make them excellent for showcasing in simple preparations where the ingredient itself becomes the focus. Some gardeners also harvest young pods to eat fresh as snaps, though the variety is primarily selected for mature dried beans.
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Transplant seedlings outdoors only after all frost danger has passed and soil temperature has warmed to at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Harden off young plants gradually by exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days before final planting. Space transplants 24 inches apart along their trellis support.
Direct sow seeds into warm soil after the last spring frost date and when soil temperature reaches 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant seeds 1 inch deep, 1 inch apart in single file along the base of a trellis or support structure. Thin seedlings to 24 inches apart once they have emerged and developed their first true leaves.
Harvest mature dried beans when the pods have turned tan or brown and the stems and foliage begin to dry down in late summer or early fall. Shell dried pods by hand, cracking open the papery hulls to reveal the finished beans inside. For fresh or snap bean use, pick young pods while they are still tender and the seeds within are only partially filled; these can be eaten whole or the immature beans shelled and eaten fresh. Mature beans for storage should be left on the vine until fully dry, then harvested, dried further indoors out of direct sunlight, and stored in airtight containers.
Pruning is not typically necessary for pole limas. Simply guide the vines onto their support structure as they grow, gently tying them in place if needed to ensure they climb rather than sprawl. Remove any dead or diseased leaves during the growing season.
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“Kurzer's Calico Traveler tells a story woven across cultures and centuries. The variety is believed to have originated with the Choctaw people in what is now Mississippi, holding cultural and nutritional significance in Indigenous agriculture. It traveled from those origins into the Trussell family of Choctaw, Mississippi, who stewarded it through generations, preserving both the seeds and the knowledge of how to grow them successfully in their region. The beans were carried in the pocket of J.C. Trussell as a tangible link to his family's heritage. Decades later, Michigan grower Doug Kurzer received the variety and recognized its potential beyond the South. He dedicated years to growing and selecting from Kurzer's stock, demonstrating that this lima could thrive in cooler northern climates where most limas struggle to set pods before frost. His work proved the variety's adaptability and shifted its identity from a regional treasure to a northern-viable heirloom. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds now maintains the foundation stock that came directly from Kurzer's careful stewardship, ensuring that both the genetics and the story continue forward.”