Danny Blank writes, "We first came across these beans when Lance Edwards from Zimbabwe reported how he would promote them among families with one or more members having HIV/AIDS. He encouraged planting several seven year lima seeds around homes, where they would grow up the sides of houses and even cover the roofs. Perennial lima varieties, depending on climate and conditions, can produce beans for many years. We grow them successfully as a food producing cover crop during our dry season at ECHO. However, long-term health and production appear better when growing on a trellis of some kind. They are characterized by vigorous growth and wide adaptability with good tolerance to some common insect pests like leafhoppers. We recently heard of some perennial lima types used as food producing ground covers in wet and humid climates. We acquired seed from Central America and will be experimenting with these. The two cultivars we currently offer are best suited for dry climates, but can persist through our intense rainy season, especially if growing on a trellis. It is one of the easier pest-tolerant beans to grow at the ECHO farm." EDN 81-8.