Denise

The description sounds like an excellent lima, and I might want to order it for next year. I see that you want it badly, and though I did some searching on the exchanges lists, I don't see that anyone is offering it there. Maybe someone who posts on this forum has a few, but then maybe not.

At any rate, I hope you are able to get some seeds of this lima variety before it's too late this year. If not, you can always order it early next year and maybe get a head-start on a possible rush or seed failure. Then save enough seeds to plant the next year or two!

Does seem to a shortage of Carolina/Sieva this year. None of my suppliers are carrying them. Seem to to be pushing Willow Leaf this year. If you are in mid Atlantic states, where they were most popular, you may find them at a local seed and feed.

I don't know if it's any help, but Sandhill has Carolina Red Sieva, or Carolina Red Lima.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beans

My own stock of "Sieva" is several years old, and I plan on growing it this year to refresh the stock. The original seed was obtained from Pinetree. Still have several pounds, so I'd be happy to fill a few requests. Just contact me through the email link on my Member Page.

Been investigating further since last post. Wow, the sources for "Sieva" really have dried up... perhaps one wholesaler is the single source for many of the companies which carry it. Found some here, and here.

Zeedman, make a point to grow a long row of them and send some seed to Sandhill. Glenn would be glad to carry them.

DarJones

This is what i have found,http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=609 also

http://www.clarkseeds.com/greenbean.asp and this one

http://www.wqseeds.com/ they are out there. hope this helps

It was a bad couple of years in the seed trade for "Sieva", and judging by the number of inquiries I received, there is a lot of interest in the variety. I sent out the majority of my remaining seed. On Fusion's recommendation, I planted a long row in 2010... but my garden flooded due to record rainfall, seriously impacting all of my bean yields. While the limas recovered when the soil dried out, they were seriously set back, to the point where it was too late in the season for most of the seed to mature. What should have been 25 pounds or more of dry seed, was reduced to just over a pound.

This has been a good example of the value of seed saving. Even popular & widely carried varieties can disappear from the seed trade - temporarily or permanently - with little warning. As a decentralized network of gardeners & small scale growers, we can sometimes keep seed available when wholesale suppliers fail. It was just such a disappearance many years ago (of a favorite bean) that set my feet on the path to seed saving.

I gave up on trying to get a good crop out of Sieva
There are too many good ones that set pods in the heat
Florida Speckled,Alabama Black and Carolina Red are good choices

I also wanted to grow sieva this year and could not find them. They are the only lima that will produce here.

Pnbrown, if you still can't find seed for "Sieva" next year, contact me through my member page.

Thus far, "Mottled Sieva" appears to be as productive - and as early - as the white-seeded version. However, with all of the extra heat this summer, I might not be comparing apples to apples. To determine if the mottled version is truly acclimated to the North, I would need to grow it in a normal (as in cooler) season.

Unfortunately, that won't happen anytime soon. I have other limas in need of renewal for at least the next two years... and have yet to grow the red version of "Sieva" ("Carolina Red") for which I already have seed.

i cannot recommend monticello's carolina sieva beans. each packet provided only 15 expensive seeds and they did not develop properly.

i was able to order one pound of seeds from rich, the only source i have found so far in 2013.

crop failure has been unfortunate. if you can get good seeds, save some dried ones from the vines for next year!! this is an exceptional white butterbean and puts all others to shame for flavor. good luck!

If you still looking for Carolina/Sieva, Heavenly Seed has a heirloom version.

Here is a link that might be useful: Griggs Lima

Last year I grew a comercial variety called mezcla
It is supposed to be a improved sieva
It set pods real well despite the heat
I think it was bred for the lower Cal.climate and is available only in large quantities