By "New World Beans" I am specifically referring to the genus Phaseolus, which has a whopping 50 different species, ALL of the native to the New World. This includes the white bean cultivars Navy, Pea Bean and Great Northern beans already discussed earlier this month. In addition to these beans, the family also includes well known Kidney bean cultivars, red beans, Lima & butter beans, pink beans, new world black beans (as distinct from Asia types used in China for seasoning), and the all important "painted beans"--the most well known of which is the pinto bean.
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Of the 50 types of Phaseolus, what is remarkable, is the geographic distribution of the different types; ranging from Jacob's Cattle beans native to Maine, to the Tongue of Fire that is native to Tierra del Feugo on the very southern tip of South America. Just about everyone indigenous community that practiced farming of any sort had some type of Phaseolus growing in their gardens. They are all very pretty beans, but all quite distinctive. Below are photos of some of the beans that are still commercially available, either packaged as food or as seeds that can be planted in the home garden.
Anasazi Beans--Southwest |
Appaloosa Beans--Southeast |
Bayo Beans--Northern Mexico |
Black Turtle Beans--Central America |
Bolitas--Mexico |
Cow Bean--Northern Mexico & Texas |
Calypso Bean--Caribbean |
Chili Bean |
Christmas Lima--South America |
Cranberry Beans--Massachusettes |
European Soldier Bean--despite it's name, it's actually from New England |
Eye Of The Goat Bean--Baja California |
Flageolet AKA Haricot Verde--Aztec, Central Mexico |
Great Northern Bean--Northeast USA |
Jackson Wonder Bean--Georgia USA, recent hybrid |
Lima Beans, Peru |
Lingot beans--southern South America |
Marrrow Beans--Native Communities Eastern USA |
Maicoba AKA Peruvian Bean |
Mortgage Runner Beans, directly from Native gardens, Southwest USA |
Navy Beans--Eastern USA |
Pinto Bean--Southwest USA & Mexico |
Rattlesnake Bean, a Pinto Hybrid, USA |
Red Ball Beans--Central/South Anerica |
Red Bean--Mexico |
Red Kidney Bean--Pan New World |
Tepary Bean--Sonoran Desert USA/Mexico |
Tolosana Beans--Western and Northwest USA |
Tongue of Fire Bean--Tierra del Fuego--Chile |
Trout Bean, Hybridized from Jacob's Cattle in Germany. |
Vallarta Bean--Central & Western Mexico |
White Kidney Bean |
Yellow Indian Woman Bean--Montana |
Great post! Thanks for all the great pics and info. One thing I noticed when I was looking up "New World beans" was that that a Texas A&M webpage that listed Lima Beans native to Guatamala. That Lima, Peru was just some place that Europeans "discovered" the bean. Here is the link: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/vegetabletravelers/beans.html
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