Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea)

The blue flower petals of the Butterfly pea plant are widely popular for the preparation of herbal drinks in Southeast Asia. The Butterfly pea flower is considered an auspicious flower in India, which is used in puja rituals. Besides, there are many medicinal benefits of this perennial herbal plant. If you want to grow Butterfly pea in your home garden, read this article to know more about the soil, water and sunlight requirements and plant care tips.

Common nameAsian Pidgeonwings, Blue Pea, Butterfly Pea
Botanical nameClitoria ternatea
FamilyFabaceae, Fabaceae
GenusClitoria
Speciesternatea, ternatea
OriginTropical Africa and Eastern Asia, Tropical Africa and Eastern Asia
Life cycleAnnual
Plant typeVine
Hardiness zone10, 11
SunlightFull Sun
MaintenanceMedium
Soil conditionClay
Soil phAcid
DrainageWell-Drained
Growth rateFast
Flowering periodFall
Height10 in. – 15 ft., 10 in. – 15 ft.
Width10 in. – 15 ft., 10 in. – 15 ft.
Flower colorBlue
Leaf colorGreen
Fruit typeLegume
Flower benefitLong Bloom Season
UsesSlope, Bank

I. Appearance and Characteristics

Clitoria ternatea, commonly known as Asian pigeonwings, bluebellvine, blue pea, butterfly pea, cordofan pea or Darwin pea, is a plant species belonging to the family Fabaceae, endemic and native to the Indonesian island of Ternate.

It is a perennial herbaceous plant, with elliptic, obtuse leaves. It grows as a vine or creeper, doing well in moist, neutral soil. Its most striking feature is the color of its flowers, a vivid deep blue; solitary, with light yellow markings. They are about 4 cm (1+1⁄2 in) long by 3 cm (1+1⁄4 in) wide. Some varieties yield white flowers and pink.

Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea)
Clitoria ternatea wallygrom CC BY-SA 2.0

The fruits are 5–7 cm (2–2+3⁄4 in) long, flat pods with six to ten seeds in each pod. They are edible when tender.

It is grown as an ornamental plant and as a revegetation species (e.g., in coal mines in Australia), requiring little care when cultivated. 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.

II. How to Grow and Care

Sunlight

Butterfly pea plants need lots of bright, direct sunlight for 6 to 10 hours daily. Avoid locations where the overhead canopy or neighboring plants cast shade.

Temperature and Humidity

This is a tropical plant that prefers moist air and temperatures between 70 and 100 degrees F. Hardy only in U.S. zones 9 through 11, the butterfly pea plant does not survive frost and is grown as an annual or potted plant where average temperatures fall below 60 degrees F. Indoor plants benefit from frequent misting to raise the humidity level.

Watering

Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea)
Neel Aporajita (Clitoria ternatea) in Shantinagar, Dhaka Mohammed Tawsif Salam CC BY-SA 3.0

Butterfly pea seedlings benefit from 1 inch of water per week. Once established, they are drought tolerant and need supplemental irrigation only in prevailing hot, dry conditions. Soil level irrigation is best for avoiding fungal infections like powdery mildew that can develop on wet leaves.

Soil

Tolerant of soil type, this twining vine grows best in fertile, slightly sandy, and well-draining soils. Plants require a balanced pH of 6.0 to 8.0.

Fertilizing

Add well-aged manure, compost, or balanced NPK fertilizer when planting. NPK liquid fertilizer higher in phosphorus and potassium boosts bloom for perennial plants when applied twice annually after pruning.

Pollination

Butterfly pea plants are perfect which means they have both male and female parts and are considered self-pollinating. The flower, however, requires assistance from bees to complete pollination and fertilization for the plant to produce peas. Potted plants grown indoors year-round will not produce fruit unless hand pollinated.

Pruning

Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea)
Starr 980529-1406 Clitoria ternatea Forest & Kim Starr CC BY 3.0

Pruning is needed to keep plants compact and bushy. Prune your butterfly pea plant often by removing growing tips. Deadheading flowers increases flower production. If you want to save seeds for propagation or harvest edible peas for cooking, leave flowers on the vine. Harvest edible peas while still small or remove pods when they become brown and dry.

Propagation

Butterfly pea plant grows easily from cuttings taken from mature plants. Gather a snipper, a pot at least 6 inches deep and 12 inches wide, and potting soil.

  • Take the cutting from an older, woodier portion of the vine. Pruned growing tips do not root well. Choose a section 3 to 5 inches long with a bud at the top.
  • Remove lower leaves and place the cutting in a glass of water or dip the bottom in rooting hormone and plant in potting soil.
  • Placed in water or soil, cutting produces roots in two to three weeks, followed quickly by flowers that open as early as three weeks once the plant is established.
  • Keep soil moist and place potted seedlings in a warm, moist location. The morning sun is best with some afternoon shade to allow young plants to acclimate.

How to Grow from Seed

Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea)
Starr 070402-6256 Clitoria ternatea Forest & Kim Starr CC BY 3.0

If you are growing butterfly pea plants in pots, allowing seed production is a good way to keep this plant going. Seeds can also be purchased at some greenhouses, online, and from specialty growers. To propagate from seed, you need a sharp knife, flats, or containers 6 inches deep and 12 inches wide, and potting medium.

  • Butterfly pea seeds are not reliable germinators. Choose mature, aged seeds that are hard, and dark brown.
  • To check for viability, pour seeds into a bowl of water. Discard seeds that don’t float.
  • Use the sharp knife to nick each seed to allow for better water absorption.
  • Soak seeds in water for 24 hours.
  • Fill the flat or pot with a light potting mix made up of 25 percent compost.
  • Plant seeds 1 inch deep. In pots, space them 4 to 6 inches apart. Seeds sown in flats can be thinned or transplanted into pots or the garden once seedlings have three sets of leaves. Do not plant outdoors until average daily temperatures reach 60 degrees F.
  • Keep seedlings moist. Germination is most successful in temperatures above 80 degrees F.
  • Germination occurs from six days up to three weeks. Nicking and soaking seeds improves the time to germination.
  • Vines grow rapidly, however the average time for plants to flower is 90 days.

Potting and Repotting

Repotting annually is recommended to replenish soil nutrients. Plants are also potted up into containers 2 to 3 inches larger once they’ve doubled in size. Turn the plant’s pot on its side, grasp the base of the plant, and gently work it loose from the pot. Add fresh potting material, choosing a larger pot when necessary. Replant and water.

Overwintering

Gardeners north of zone 9, need to bring potted plants indoors when average daily temperatures drop below 60 degrees F. Place the pot in a location that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Close to a south-facing window works well. Indoor temperatures need to stay consistently above 60 degrees F., so avoid drafty spots. Add a humidifier or mist the plant frequently to mimic moist, tropical conditions. Allow the soil surface to dry between waterings and continue to prune as needed.

Pests and Diseases

Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea)
Clitoria ternatea Dinesh Valke CC BY-SA 2.0

Butterfly pea is not vulnerable to many diseases or pests. Spider mites and aphids can be a problem but can be knocked down with a strong spray of water. Treat infestations with horticultural oil. Overwatering can lead to bacterial soft rot, mold, and mildew.

III. Uses and Benefits

  • Garden Use

Butterfly pea is a gorgeous flowering vine selected by gardeners for its beauty, hardiness, and nitrogen-fixing ability. Besides its use in restoring nitrogen-poor soil in the garden, this climbing vine looks great on trellises and fences, and is used as a privacy screen when grown on chain link.

  • Culinary use

In Southeast Asia, the flower is used as a natural food coloring to color glutinous rice and desserts like the Eurasian putugal as well as an ayurvedic medicine. In Kelantan, in the north-east of peninsular Malaysia, it is an important ingredient in nasi kerabu, giving it its characteristic bluish color. In Burmese and Thai cuisines, the flowers are also dipped in butter and fried. It is also used to color the Nyonya dish Pulot tartal.

Butterfly pea flower tea is made from the ternatea flowers and dried lemongrass and changes color depending on what is added to the liquid, with lemon juice turning it purple. In Thailand and Vietnam, this butterfly blue pea flower tea is commonly mixed with honey and lemon to increase acidity and turn the beverage a pink-purple color, to produce for a drink usually served after dinner, or as a refreshment at hotels and spas. The drink is a typical local drink like chamomile tea is in other parts of the world. The tea is found in both hot and cold varieties.

The flowers have more recently been used in a color-changing gin and absinthe. Blue in the bottle, it turns pink when mixed with a carbonated mixer such as tonic water due to the change in pH. As organic colors are not permanent, this type of gin is recommended to be stored in a dark place to maintain the effect.

  • Traditional medicine

In traditional ayurvedic medicine, it is ascribed with various qualities including memory enhancing, nootropic, antistress, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, tranquilizing, and sedative properties. In traditional Chinese medicine, the plant has been ascribed properties affecting female libido due to its similar appearance to the female reproductive organ. Using its extract have also shown its ability to reduce intensity of behavior caused by serotonin and acetylcholine.

Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea)
Clitoria ternatea (Mussel-shell climber) I IMG 9809 J.M.Garg CC BY-SA 3.0

Its extracts possess a wide range of pharmacological activities including antimicrobial, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic, local anesthetic, antidiabetic, insecticidal, blood platelet aggregation-inhibiting and for use as a vascular smooth muscle relaxing properties. This plant has a long use in traditional ayurvedic medicine for several diseases and scientific studies have reconfirmed those with modern relevance.

  • Textile use

The flower can be used to dye natural fibers and is used by traditional societies in Asia to do so.

IV. Harvesting and Storage

Butterfly pea plants are grown for their flowers rather than the edible peas. The flowers open for only a day or two but can be harvested fresh, wilted, or dried. The greatest amount of pigment is extracted from fresh flowers, resulting in richer color in food and beverages. Slightly wilted flowers should be left to dry completely and dried flowers produce the best color when combined with hot water.

To harvest peas, remove flowers to activate the growth of the pod. Harvest pods before peas are too large which causes them to become tough and flavorless. To harvest seeds, wait until the pods dry and turn brown.

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