Butterfly pea plants require bright, direct sunlight for 6 to 10 hours daily, avoiding locations where overhead canopy or neighboring plants cast shade. They thrive in fertile, slightly sandy, and well-draining soils. Seedlings benefit from 1 inch of water per week.
Butterfly pea plant care is easy and requires little attention. The plant produces bright purple blooms that can add color to any garden, porch, or window. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions and is known for its striking blue flowers, which resemble the wings of a butterfly.
The butterfly pea flower can be used as a natural food dye. It is easy to grow from seed, and it prefers full sun and soil with good drainage. To grow butterfly pea plants in pots, choose a container 6 inches deep and 12 to 14 inches in diameter. Sow seeds 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart.
Clitoria ternatea is easy to grow from seed, and the seeds can be prepared by lightly scratching the surface with a nail file and soaking them overnight in water. Keep the soil moist and provide warmth and light for approximately 45 days. Propagating from cuttings provides a larger plant with flowers in a frost-free zone.
The butterfly pea vine likes to be planted in well-drained soil and partial sun. These plants love the heat and sunshine, so make sure to place them in full sun. If you have a south wall for them to grow against, plant your seeds in pots if temperatures get below 60 °F (16 °C). Butterfly pea flowers thrive in warm, tropical environments.
📹 Grow Rare Seeds | How To Germinate Butterfly Pea Vine
Butterfly pea vine is one of the most magnificent vining flowers you’ll ever encounter. Its vibrant blue blooms aren’t merely …
Will butterfly pea come back every year?
The Butterfly Pea is a deciduous, perennial vine that can grow up to 15 feet tall. It is native to humid subtropical grassland and open woodlands but can be grown as an annual in colder climates. The plant produces pea-like blue flowers up to 2 inches in diameter with yellow centers, blooming singly or in pairs from summer to fall. It thrives in well-drained, dry to slightly moist, fertile soil but can tolerate loam, heavy clay, acid, and alkaline soils. It is drought-tolerant but prefers consistent watering and full sun. The plant can be used as a ground cover or grown onto an arbor.
Does butterfly pea need a trellis?
Butterfly Peavine, a climbing vine, can grow up to 15 feet tall by 6 feet wide and is known for its well-behaved nature. It can produce a striking blue tea by steeping fresh or dried flowers in hot water for 10 minutes. This vibrant infusion can be enjoyed as is or with a squeeze of lemon, which magically changes the color to purple due to the pH change. Laura Jarvis of The Butterfly Landing states that Butterfly Peavine is a “well-behaved” vine that doesn’t loop around other plants or choke them out.
Is butterfly pea flower easy to grow?
The butterfly pea is a resilient plant that flourishes in warm, sunny environments. It can be cultivated from seed or procured from specialty growers. To initiate the planting process, it is recommended to commence the germination of seeds indoors eight to ten weeks prior to the onset of frost in the designated growing zone. Alternatively, the direct sowing of seeds can be undertaken during the early spring season in zones 9 and above. It is recommended that the plant be situated in an area that receives six to ten hours of direct sunlight per day and has well-draining soil.
What are the side effects of butterfly pea flower?
The use of butterfly pea flower is generally considered safe when employed in moderation. However, some individuals have reported adverse effects, including nausea, gastric discomfort, and diarrhea. It is a component of a variety of cosmetic products, including hair mists, toners, shampoos, and face masks. Additionally, the plant can be utilized in the preparation of herbal tea, imparting an earthy flavor and a vibrant blue hue.
How do you care for a blue butterfly pea vine?
The vine of this plant requires minimal maintenance, requiring minimal overwatering and minimal nitrogen fixing. It becomes drought-tolerant once established and requires minimal fertilizer. If the soil is prepared beforehand, no additional fertilizer is needed. The vine is also resistant to garden pests. The flowers bloom for a day and can be harvested and dried. However, it is preferable to pick them a few days later when the flowers have shrivelled and started to dry on the vine. This allows the pods to form, dry on the vine, and be collected for seed saving. As the pods mature, they begin to fill with seeds and change color.
Where is the best place to plant butterfly peas?
The butterfly pea is a species that flourishes in conditions of ample sunlight and well-drained soil.
Is butterfly pea flower invasive?
Butterfly Pea is a drought-tolerant vine that can grow in dry and semiarid habitats. It has spread beyond cultivation, invading riverbanks, waterhole edges, and disturbed lands in Australia, Hawaii, the Galapagos, Fiji, and other Pacific islands. Despite this, it is known for its nitrogen-fixing abilities, which enrich the soil by converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by plants. Butterfly pea is also used in culinary applications, such as tea, rice, desserts, and cocktails.
Its vibrant blue color can change to purple with acidic ingredients like lemon juice, while its natural coloring agent and subtle floral note make it a popular choice in Southeast Asian cuisine. The flower’s color-changing properties and mild taste make it a valuable addition to culinary and health benefits.
Is a butterfly pea a perennial or annual?
The butterfly pea is a perennial vine that can grow up to three feet long, but it is a twining vine rather than a climbing vine. It has trifoliate leaves, which are alternate, stalked, and have three leaflets over an inch long. The leaves have stipules, which are leafy wings at the base. The butterfly pea is found in dry and rocky woods and is an uncommon plant in the southeastern United States. It is the only widespread species of Clitoria worldwide, native to North America.
What month do you plant butterfly bushes?
Butterfly bushes are popular in eco-conscious gardens, providing habitat for butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. They bloom from midsummer until fall in various colors and are standouts in gardens. They thrive in full sun, but can grow in part shade in warmer climates. They don’t care about soil conditions, as long as it drains well, as poorly-drained soils can cause root rot. Butterfly bushes are best planted in early spring or fall for optimal growth.
Can butterfly pea be grown in pots?
The plant can be cultivated from seeds by directly sowing them into a pot, container, raised bed, or any desired location within the Goron. Alternatively, the seeds can be planted indoors after a four-week period.
📹 Variety Spotlight: Butterfly Pea Flower (Clitoria Ternatea)
A magical flower loaded with medicinal properties. Beautiful and easy to grow!
Something else I haven’t heard mentioned yet, it helps A LOT with heartburn/gastric reflux. My wife had to hunt for these flowers when she grew up in the Philippines because she couldn’t sleep due to stomach acidity. The blue flower always helped the burning sensation die down. I mentioned this to one of my sisters, who did some chemical analysis of the “tea” and titrated it to prove that it actually is a base, and can reduce the acidity in the stomach. I thought it was pretty cool, and no one else seems to have realized this yet 😄
I planted seeds and plants that came out are kinda mixed. I got the usual singles but some are doubles. One plant seemed to have too much petals that it never fully open up unlike the other doubles. Never saw it grew pods like the others. Decided to start hand pollinating it today. Crossing my fingers.
First of all LOL, that it’s named after “a part of the female anatomy.” So, scarify is pronounced like “scar” not “scare” but I sure laughed when you said you were going to scare-ify the seeds. On Baker Creek’s own YouTube website the lady showing how to plant it says it is more sedating than chamomile. I am glad I watched their article because this is the “secret ingredient” used to make blue ramen you may have seen in viral articles in Japan. I was going to show people how to make this blue ramen without knowing it was a sedating plant when I have a heart condition. It is likely one sip could have affected me, I cannot drink one sip of chamomile without getting affected. If they have that info in their YouTube article they should have a warning on their package. Also, any restaurant serving “blue ramen” should warn people that the “secret ingredient” is a sedative. I’d be pretty upset if I took my dream vacation to Japan to film a food vlog like other YouTubers have done, and passed out in my bowl of blue ramen.