Pea Flower: How to Grow and Uses

What is a butterfly pea flower?

The pea flower is a member of the genus Clitoria, species ternatea, family Fabaceae, and order Fabales. Clitoria ternatea is its scientific name. Numerous other names for it are also commonly used, such as Asian pigeonwings, Aparajita, Gokarna, blue pea, cordofan pea, and Darwin Pea. 

A soft to semi-hardwood green vine, the butterfly pea has a distinct fibrous root structure. It has fairly extensive roots.

Butterfly Pea flowers are annual plants with a one-year life cycle. They are a cool-season crop farmed all over the world, with planting times varying from early January to late spring. Natural nitrogen-fixing plants include Clitoria ternatea. 

Nutrients in butterfly pea flower

Nitrosomonas and other nitrogen-fixing bacteria are found in the nodes it creates in the roots. Recent studies have demonstrated that butterfly peas may enrich the soil with 15 to 22% natural phosphates, potassium, and sulphur, as well as 30 to 35% more nitrogen in just one year. For crop rotation, Butterfly pea flower plant can be an excellent substitute.

Pea flower:  Key facts

see also: all about Clitoria Ternatea

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Pea flower: Cultivation of pea flowers

How do you get pea flower soil ready?

• Take one part topsoil (between two and five cm from the top) from the garden soil, one part sand, and one part compost. You can combine this mixture with perlite and coco peat.
• The soil mixture is dry-fried for 10 minutes at 150–200 degrees Celsius. Simply heat the soil mixture in a microwave oven on medium-high for 10 to 15 minutes. At this temperature, peat moss and coco peat will burn. So following this step, add those.
• Allow the soil mixture to cool for several hours.
• Add 1-2 teaspoons of NPK to this soil mixture last. Add some water to the mixture to add moisture.
• Give the soil mixture two to three days in the dark.
• Simply mix it thoroughly and use it for growing seeds or any cuttings after 3 or 4 days.

Growing from seed

• The seeds should be soaked for 10 to 20 hours in simple water. The greatest amount of time it can soak is 24 hours or one day. They have a tough outer covering that can take up to 36 hours to absorb water, so don’t worry, the seed won’t rot.
• If the temperature is below 26 degrees Celcius, or 69 degrees Fahrenheit, scarification is beneficial.
• Each seed’s covering can be filed or scraped off using fine sandpaper. It’s a sensitive task. Don’t do anything too much. Avoid harming the core or entirely exposing it.
• After soaking the seeds for 24 hours, they can be planted straight in the ground.
• An alternative is to leave the seeds in a paper towel for 15 to 20 days so that the roots can form. This will guarantee which seeds are healthy and which are not.
• Place each seed in a growing medium after it has germinated. Use soil and cocopeat or the previously discussed soil mixture.
• Pierce the dirt mixture with a 1-inch hole. Carefully insert the seed into it. After that, fill the hole with a dirt mixture.
• Spray water on the mixture. Only once, combine 1-2 tablespoons of any contact fungicide with the water.
• For 3–4 weeks, plant the soil mixture and seeds in partial shade. Be cautious when lighting; butterfly pea seeds benefit from at least two hours of light for improved germination.
• Keep the soil mixture moist. For the first 15 days following seeding, it shouldn’t dry out. Avoid overwatering; if the soil is too wet, seeds could rot. So, use caution when watering.

Growing from cuttings

• For a mature plant, take a good 6- to 8-inch clipping. Take some medium-tough word vine so you can cut it.
• Take the majority of the leaves and leaflets off the stem. A higher leaf means more transpiration. This will lessen the possibility of roots growing. Remove the remaining leaves from the cuttings, leaving 2-4 leaves at the top.
• From the bottom of the cutting, carefully make a one-cm ring. Make it circular and tuck it within without breaking it.
• Put enough rooting hormone powder on this ring. For proper application, you might first immerse it in water before applying the rooting agent.
• In the same soil mixture as described above, create a hole that is 2-3 inches deep.
• Put one cutting in each hole.
• Place them at least 6 to 10 cm apart.
• Sprayers are used to water the cutting. Don’t directly pour water.
• For 15 to 20 days, keep the cuttings in a semi-shaded area and don’t disturb them.

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Pea flower: Care and maintenance

Climate and lighting

• For optimal growth, the Clitoria ternatea plant prefers full light.
• But this simple-to-grow plant does well in low light, even in some shadow.
• Additionally, it can tolerate cool and humid weather to some extent, but it prefers no frost.
• The blooming pea tolerates temperatures as low as 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius) and thrives best in environments with typical temperatures of 66 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (19 to 28 degrees C).

Feeding and watering

• In order to collect nutrients from the soil during the first growth season, growing butterfly pea flowers prefer routine watering.
• The spurred type can withstand drought, but once it reaches maturity, it needs a little bit more irrigation, especially in hot and dry weather.
• The specimen that blooms doesn’t need fertiliser.
• However, feed the plant with a water-soluble fertiliser, ideally an organic one, once or twice a year.

Transplanting and soil

• Rich, sandy soil with a pH range of 6.6 to 7.5 is preferred by Clitoria ternatea.
• For optimal results, make sure the soil is well-drained and contains organic matter and compost.
• When the seedlings are at least 6″ tall, think about transplanting.
• To quickly eliminate the root system, dig widely and deeply.
• Shake off any extra soil and undesirable materials from it.
• Create a new hole that is twice as big as the existing root system.
• Butterfly pea vines should be moved into a fresh hole, and lots of native soil and compost should be blended in.
• Until the roots are entirely developed, water the plant liberally.

Potential health benefits of butterfly pea flower

• Antioxidants are abundant

Historically, pea flower tea was thought to be a natural remedy for a variety of ailments, including fever, inflammation, arthritic pain caused by collagen degradation, and diabetes, to name a few.

• Natural antimicrobial and immune-boosting properties

Because of the presence of compounds such as p-coumarin acid and delphinidin glucoside, pea flowers are thought to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. This plant and tea may also help to fight viruses and infections.

• Helps with cognitive health

Clitoria ternatea may improve focus, memory, and other cognitive functions by raising acetylcholine levels in the brain, according to some animal studies.

• Can assist in the protection of your vision

Clitoria ternatea contains antioxidants that can protect the eyes from free radical damage caused by the sun, irritants, and the effects of a poor diet. It may also help increase blood flow to the eyes.

• Enhances the condition of the hair and skin

Pea flower, when applied topically, may be able to delay the appearance of early ageing symptoms on the skin, such as suppleness loss, fine wrinkles, and an uneven tone and texture.

Does butterfly pea flower have any side effects?

Butterfly pea flower when consumed in moderate levels are considered to be safe and not have any side effects. However, if there is an over indulgence of butterfly pea flower, there are chances that one may have side effects like diarrhoea, stomach ache, nausea etc.

How to use butterfly pea flower?

Butterfly pea flower when used as herbal tea gives a very good taste. To make herbal tea using butterfly pea flower, add in hot cup of water, one spoon of dried butterfly pea flowers and put a lid to the cup. After 5 minutes when the essence of the flower gets down the water, strain the flowers and drink the tea. The tea will have a blue colour to it.

Butterfly pea flower is also used in herbal cosmetics, mist, shampoos and face masks.

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