Mountain Pima Plum Bean is a pole bean that carries the agricultural heritage of the Mountain Pima peoples of Sonora, Mexico. This heirloom variety produces small, plum-colored seeds that were traditionally grown and remain a living connection to indigenous farming practices. As a pole bean, it climbs readily and rewards gardeners with reliable yields throughout the growing season. The variety comes directly from the Native Seeds/SEARCH Seed Bank Collection, ensuring its authenticity and purity.
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The plum-colored seeds are striking and distinctive, immediately recognizable in any garden or harvest basket. Originally collected in Yecora, Sonora, this variety carries genuine cultural significance as a traditional crop of the Mountain Pima peoples. Growing it means tending a living piece of agricultural history while enjoying the practical advantages of a productive pole bean.
As a dried bean, Mountain Pima Plum Bean is used in traditional soups, stews, and bean dishes common throughout northern Mexico and the American Southwest. The small plum-colored seeds cook relatively quickly for a dried bean and have a gentle, earthy flavor. Fresh pods can also be harvested and used as snap beans before the seeds mature.
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Direct sow seeds into warm soil after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperature has reached at least 60°F, ideally 70°F or warmer. Plant seeds near your trellis or support structure, spacing them about 4 to 6 inches apart along the base of the support.
For fresh snap beans, harvest pods when they are young, tender, and bright green, before the seeds inside begin to swell noticeably. For dried beans, allow the pods to mature fully on the vine until they turn brown and papery and the seeds inside are hard and fully colored. Shell the dried pods and store the plum-colored seeds in a cool, dry place.
As a pole bean, Mountain Pima Plum Bean requires no pruning beyond gentle training to guide vines up the trellis or support as they grow. Remove any dead leaves or damaged growth to maintain plant health.
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“Mountain Pima Plum Bean originates from the Mountain Pima peoples of Sonora, Mexico, where it has been cultivated as a traditional variety for generations. The seeds were collected in Yecora, Sonora, and are now preserved through the Native Seeds/SEARCH Seed Bank Collection, an organization dedicated to maintaining the genetic diversity and cultural heritage of crops native to the American Southwest and Mexico. By growing this variety, gardeners participate directly in the preservation of indigenous agricultural knowledge and seed sovereignty.”