| Golden brown mottled beans, excellent for the dish "Frijoles Cucupa". The Cucupa People live along the lower Colorado River, and the original seed was obtained from a woman farmer of Sonora, Mexico. An annual bean that was first cultivated in the Southwest by the Hohokam Indians, and that is particularly adapted to low desert conditions. In the past it was a very important part of the local diet, and is very nutritious. Tolerant of low desert heat, drought and alkaline soil.
Plant 1/2 inch deep and 4 inches apart. In the desert, plant with the summer rains, otherwise irrigate if the plants start to look stressed. Plants that are overwatered will produce many runners, but few bean pods. A self pollinating annual, seeds can be saved for next year by harvesting pods as they dry. |
