How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Butterfly Pea

This growing guide is all about the gorgeous butterfly pea! Its botanical name is Clitoria ternatea. Most flowers are colored blue, but other species showcase a pink-purple color. Traditional use of this flower is for tea, food coloring, and for cosmetics. In its native habitat, the flowers are easy to gather during tropical forages. 

Pea flower tea is a traditional Ayurvedic medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties. Butterfly pea flowers produce flat pods that are great for eating fresh. Plus, the flowers have major blue anthocyanins, chemical compounds that react with acid to turn the tea into a well-known brilliant blue color. In the plant science world, nucleotides (which are antimicrobial) were isolated from the heat-stable fraction of the flower extract. 

In India, they treat it as a holy flower and use it in daily rituals. It plays a big part in their economic botany, meaning how the people of India interact with this species. The genus Clitoria comes from a Greek word relating to the female anatomy – which many say the flower resembles. Thus, a traditional medicine used for the flowers is to treat sexual ailments. 

These tropical vines with useful flowers are easy to grow when provided with the right environment. Even if you live in a cold climate, it can grow in containers and live indoors during the winter. Let’s delve into the details of growing the butterfly pea.  

What is a Butterfly Pea?

The botanical name for the butterfly pea is Clitoria ternatea. The genus Clitoria because the flowers resemble the female anatomy, and ternatea because they discovered it on Ternate Island. Other common names are Asian pigeonwings, Darwin pea, blue pea, and bluebell vine. 

Native Area

This species originates in Africa, China, and India. Thus, it is a perennial in tropical areas and an annual in areas with frost. It is a fast-growing ornamental that showcases an abundance of blooms from early summer into the fall.  

Characteristics

Once you’ve seen butterfly pea flowers, you’ll find they are easy to identify. It is a deciduous vine with smooth stems that are slender with trifoliate compound leaves. The leaves grow alternately along the stem and have a stipule at the base of each leaf. 

Clitoria ternatea flowers are the most striking feature. The flowers are a purple-blue color with light yellow markings. However, some varieties yield white flowers or vivid deep blue flowers. Flowers turn to seeds and form pods that hold six to ten seeds. 

In many parts of the world, the butterfly pea flower is an invasive species if it escapes from cultivation. Thus, if you’re not growing it in your native environment, take care to keep it contained. Butterfly peas are a popular ornamental, and the flowers, with their characteristic bluish color, are used as a natural food coloring and to dye natural fibers.  

Planting

To plant butterfly peas, start by selecting a sunny location with well-draining soil, as this tropical vine thrives in warm climates. Soak the seeds in water overnight to improve germination, then sow them about half an inch deep in moist soil. Keep the soil consistently damp but not waterlogged.

Germination usually occurs within one to two weeks. Provide a trellis or support for the vines to climb as they grow.

How to Grow

The butterfly pea is an easy-to-care-for species, especially when you provide an environment it loves. It is found naturally in Southeast Asia, so it likes warm, humid climates. Let’s get into the details about growing this interesting vine with its beautiful flowers.   

Light

Full sun is ideal for the blue pea flower, but it will tolerate partial sun as long as it receives six to ten hours per day. A greenhouse is a perfect place to grow Clitoria ternatea flowers because it emulates its natural environment.  

Water

Butterfly peas will tolerate a large amount of water as long as the water doesn’t sit on the roots. When you’re growing these flowers in a pot, keep the soil moist but not soggy. Water from the bottom in the morning to prevent introducing fungal issues. Keep the soil moist even if you bring it in for the winter. 

You may notice you won’t have to water as often if the climate is more humid. Butterfly pea is at home with humidity and will be happier overall when provided with plenty of moisture. 

Soil

You can grow butterfly pea flowers in many types of soil as long as they are well-drained. However, the best soil type is sandy. A slightly acidic to neutral soil with a pH range of 6.6-7.5 is ideal. Since they prefer plenty of water, using soil that drains well is vital. It won’t thrive in soggy soil, and if the soil is too wet, it can attract fungal growth. 

Temperature

Ideal temperatures for butterfly peas are around 65-82°F (18-28°C). When grown in USDA hardiness zones 11-12, it is a perennial. At lower zones, it is annual since it’s sensitive to temperatures below 60°F (16°C). It can be grown in containers that can then be moved indoors or into a greenhouse when it gets too cold.

Fertilizing

The butterfly pea’s roots form nodes that perform a process called nitrogen fixing. These roots form a symbiotic relationship with the soil bacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogen-rich material that can then be used for themselves. 

When you dig a hole, mix in a balanced NPK fertilizer to give it a good head start. This will ensure a healthy vine with plenty of flowers. Then, after pruning, a potassium and phosphorus-rich liquid fertilizeris needed once or twice per year.     

Maintenance

Prune your butterfly pea when it gets leggy to encourage bushy growth. Also, plan to deadhead the spent flowers if you want to extend how long it produces flowers. If you don’t deadhead the flowers, all the energy from it will go toward forming seed pods instead of flowers. Finally, give it a good pruning to allow it to rest until the next time it’s ready to bloom. 

When growing butterfly pea flowers in a container, it’s good to repot it once a year to improve soil quality or when they have doubled in size. Use fresh, moistened soil and transplant it to a container that is 2-3 inches larger than the previous container. 

Propagation

There are two methods of propagation with these flowers – by seed or cuttings. Butterfly pea flowers are finicky when starting from seed and it will take up to one year for your vine to bloom its lovely flowers. 

For the best success rate, soak the seeds for 24 hours and then place them in a damp paper towel to germinate. This way, you’ll know which seeds are viable, and you can then sow them in seed-starting soil. Keep the soil moist and provide warmth and light for approximately 45 days.

Propagating from cuttings provides a larger vine with flowers in a shorter amount of time. Choose a soft to semi-hard cutting from an established vine, then cut the stem six to eight inches and remove all the leaves, leaving two to four from the top of the stem. Dip the stem in rooting hormone and place two to three inches of the cutting into moist vermiculite or sand. 

Put the cutting in a warm place that provides at least six hours of sunlight. Keep the soil moist, and it should form roots within 30-45 days. 

Common Problems

Butterfly peas and their accompanying flowers aren’t prone to any serious diseases, but there are a few concerns to be aware of. This next section discusses how to deal with any growing problems, pest infestation, or diseases that may arise. 

Growing Problems

The biggest issue when growing butterfly peas is the amount of water they receive. Since they originate in tropical zones, they love plenty of moisture. Well-draining soil is ideal for preventing the soil from becoming soggy. Also, they don’t enjoy being cold. Ideal temperatures are above 60°F. Bring them inside when temperatures drop to keep them healthy and happy. 

Pests

Aphids or spider mites are the most severe pest types you will see affecting butterfly peas. Aphids are small brown, green, or yellow insects hanging out on the underside of leaves. They dine on the sap, slowly sucking the life from it. The leaves turn yellow and twisted, and it may stop growing. Neem oil doesn’t kill the aphids instantly but stops them from feeding until they die. 

Spider mites are minuscule, thus making them hard to see. Shake a leaf or the flowers over a piece of white paper to look for small dots moving around. Other signs are webbing and white stippling on the leaves. The mites suck on the stems and leaves, removing the contents from the plant cell and leaving behind silvery cells. 

Thus, the leaves and sometimes flowers look mottled with a yellowish or grayish cast. You can blast them off with water for small infestations and introduce or attract predatory mites to your garden. Prevention is the best line of defense. Keep your butterfly pea healthy and stress-free. Mites prefer drought-stressed vines and dry soil. 

Diseases

Fungal diseases such as leaf spot or root rot are the most commonly seen in butterfly pea. High amounts of water cause fungal issues, usually by overwatering or water remaining on the leaves. 

Leaf spot begins at the lower leaves and works its way up. The leaves develop circular spots with a spore in the center, eventually falling off. To control this, place where it receives plenty of airflow, water at the base to prevent splashing on the leaves and flowers, reduce humidity, and prune to increase air circulation. Fungicides should be used as a last resort. 

Root rot is caused by too much water (and sometimes fungi that thrive in the wet environment), usually from overwatering, the soil not draining, or not having adequate drain holes in the pot. Too much water causes the roots to die from lack of oxygen. They will appear mushy and begin to rot away. 

Prevention is the key, and if you catch it early enough, you can implement other measures such as repotting in a better-draining pot with well-draining soil and adjusting your watering schedule. When you repot, clip off any mushy and dead roots and all affected leaves and flowers, then rinse the root ball thoroughly.

Frequently Asked Questions