Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea)
Butterfly Pea is an perennial or annual creeping vine with a shrubby habitat. Once established, this plant is incredibly easy to grow and requires little attention aside from helping to train it up a trellis if needed.
When in bloom, the Butterfly Pea is covered in bright blue-purple (dare we say, blurple) blossoms. The flowers can be used to make tea and as a natural dye for food and even hair products. When used in liquid form, the color morphs depending on the ph. For example, the blue-purple color changes to bright pink when lemon or seltzer water is added and the acidity is raised. It's incredible, cool, and magical!
As a legume, its roots form a symbiotic association with soil bacteria known as rhizobia, which transform atmospheric N2 into a plant-usable form (a process called nitrogen fixing), therefore, this plant is also used to improve soil quality through the decomposition of nitrogen rich plant material. Butterfly Pea is well-known for it's traditional healing properties in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine.
Plant Type:
Perennial Herb, Flowering Vine
Can also be grown as an annual!
Harvest Season:
Year-round
Mature Size:
Up to 15 ft. tall and 6 feet wide
Soil & Moisture:
Moist, well-draining soil. Will grow well in virtually any time type of soil as long as it is well draining!
Light Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Shade
Self-Fertile:
Yes
Growth Rate:
Very Fast, Fast
Zone Hardiness:
Outdoors 9-11 with frost protection; Patio/Greenhouse 4+
Our Butterfly Pea Vine is grown from cutting and capable of flowering within the growing season
