Perennial Thicket Bean

  Phaseolus polystachios Origin: Pennsylvania Improvement Status: Cultivated wild material Seeds per packet: ~20 BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED Life cycle: Perennial   Perennial thicket bean is a legume native to eastern North America. It is the only true bean (Phaseolus genus) native to a temperate region, while all of the others are tropical or sub-tropical. It is actually a close cousin of the Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus). Thicket beans grow on twining vines and can often be found growing on roadsides or in other disturbed areas in their native range. While the beans are smaller than most domesticated beans, they are equally edible and quite tasty when cooked. Archaeological evidence from sites in Arkansas and Oklahoma indicates that they were eaten historically by indigenous peoples, and that domestication for non-shattering seed pods was likely to have occurred. We believe there's great potential for breeding work to be done to improve this valuable addition to the per