VegetableBean
King of the Garden Lima Bean
Lima Bean
King of the Garden Lima Bean is a towering pole lima that earned its regal name honestly. Introduced in 1883 by Frank Platt, who spent years selecting for height and productivity, this heirloom variety grows 8 to 10 feet tall and produces an astounding abundance of 8-inch pods stuffed with plump, creamy beans. Growing in zones 3 through 9, it reaches harvest in 60 to 69 days, rewarding patient gardeners with the kind of yields that justify the vertical space it demands.
Photo © True Leaf Market(https://www.trueleafmarket.com/products/heirloom-vegetable-seeds-a-ca-bean-heirloom-seeds-pole-beans-king-of-the-garden-pole-lima)
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-9
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam
Preferred Temp70-85°F
Growth Stats
120 in
Height
PeriodAnnual
TypeVine
Spacing
6-9 inches apart
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-9
Size
120in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
Frank Platt's decades of careful selection created something genuinely exceptional: vines that stretch 8 to 10 feet and yield what growers describe as tons of massive 8-inch pods, each one and a quarter inches wide. The pods are loaded with six seeds per pod, making this lima a heavy producer rather than a curiosity. Open-pollinated and heat-tolerant, it thrives in the warmth that makes other beans sulk, and it handles drought pressure with admirable resilience.
Common Uses
King of the Garden limas are shell beans, harvested when the pods have matured and the beans inside have plumped to full size. The large, creamy beans are prized for fresh shelling, yielding generous portions from each pod, and they're equally suited to drying for storage and winter cooking. The abundance of a mature plant makes this variety especially valuable for gardeners who want to preserve beans for later use or feed a household throughout the season.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Mid-summer
First Harvest
Late Summer
Last Harvest
Early Fall
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Sow seeds directly into the garden after all frost danger has passed and soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant seeds 1 inch deep, spacing them 4 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart.
Harvesting
Harvest pods when they have fully matured and the beans inside have swelled visibly through the pod wall. The pods themselves will shift from bright green to a pale or grayish tone when ready. Snap or cut individual pods from the vine, then shell the beans by opening the seams. For fresh eating, harvest at this peak stage. For drying, leave pods on the vine until completely brown and papery, then shell and store the dried beans.
Pruning
No pruning is necessary for King of the Garden. Allow vines to climb freely up their support structure, tying or training stems as needed to keep them organized on the trellis.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Soil pH Range
6 – 7
Scientific Classification
Phaseolus L.
Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Phaseolus
History & Origin
“This variety carries the fingerprints of one man's obsession with the perfect lima bean. In 1883, Frank Platt introduced King of the Garden after years of deliberate selection focusing on two goals: height and abundance. He was searching for a pole lima that wouldn't be content with a modest 6-foot vine but would eagerly climb toward 8 and 9 feet, producing heavy clusters of oversized pods along the way. His vision succeeded completely. The variety became an heirloom standard precisely because Platt's breeding work created something genuinely superior, not just different, and gardeners have preserved it ever since as a testament to thoughtful seed selection.”