Hawol Bean is a striking pole lima bean from the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, prized for its wonderfully colored orange pods with black mottling. This frost-tender cultivar thrives in warm climates (hardiness zones 9-11) and demonstrates exceptional drought and heat tolerance, making it well suited to hot, dry regions. Germinate seeds between 70-85°F and provide moderate water throughout the growing season. The pole growth habit means you'll want vertical support, and the variety's heritage origin adds cultural depth to any garden.
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Moderate
9-11
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High
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Orange beans with striking black mottling make this variety visually distinctive in the garden and on the plate. Its exceptional drought and heat tolerance combined with its pedigree from the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona gives it both practical and cultural significance. Staff at Native Seeds/SEARCH rate this bean as a favorite, and its proven ability to handle intense heat and low water makes it particularly valuable for gardeners in arid climates.
As an edible lima bean, Hawol Bean is used in cooking much like other lima varieties. The orange beans can be harvested fresh and cooked while young, or left to mature and dry for storage and use in soups, stews, and traditional Southwest and Mexican cuisine. The dried beans are particularly valuable for long-term food security and kitchen pantry storage.
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Direct sow seeds into warm soil after all frost danger has passed and soil temperature is at least 70°F, ideally 70-85°F for optimal germination.
Harvest fresh immature beans by picking pods when they are tender and snap easily between your fingers. For dried beans, allow pods to mature fully on the vine, turning brown and papery, then harvest the entire pod and shell out the mature beans for storage.
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“Hawol Bean comes directly from the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, where it has been grown and preserved as part of the region's rich agricultural heritage. This connection to indigenous foodways makes it more than a vegetable variety; it represents generations of cultivation knowledge passed through Southwestern communities. Native Seeds/SEARCH, the organization dedicated to preserving traditional crops of the American Southwest, maintains and distributes this variety to honor its origins and ensure its survival for future gardeners.”