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Butterfly Pea in the GardenTags plant encyclopedia

Clitoria mariana

 

Butterfly Pea

Clitoria ternatea is a tender, trailing or semi-climbing, evergreen perennial that is often grown as a biennial or annual. The leaves are pinnate, with oval leaflets. Clitoria mariana has lilac coloured flowers

Contributed by @Jason

 
plant Features
  • Butterfly Pea likes full sun

    Full sun

  • Butterfly Pea likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

  • Butterfly Pea is not frost hardy

    Not Frost hardy

  • Butterfly Pea likes moist and free draining

    Moist and free draining

 
plant information

Common name

Butterfly Pea

Latin name

Clitoria mariana

type

evergreen perennial

family

Fabaceae

ph

5.5 - 8.5 Acid - Neutral

  • Light

    Butterfly Pea likes full sun

    Full sun

  • Frost

    Butterfly Pea is not frost hardy

    Not Frost hardy

  • Soil

    Butterfly Pea likes moist and free draining

    Moist and free draining

  • Water

    Butterfly Pea likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

Plant & bloom calendar

  •  
    Best time to plant
  •  
    When the plant will bloom

full grown dimensions

The size of a fully grown Butterfly Pea is 2.00meters x 3.00meters 2.00 M 3.00 M

Clitoria mariana

Clitoria ternatea is a tender, trailing or semi-climbing, evergreen perennial that is often grown as a biennial or annual. The leaves are pinnate, with oval leaflets. Clitoria mariana has lilac coloured flowers


Flowering

From Mid Summer TO Early Autumn

Bright blue flowers with white-flushed or yellow-flushed centres, and said to resemble female genitalia - hence the Latin name - appear from Summer into Autumn

 

Planting

From Early Spring TO Late Spring

Butterfly peas grow quickly, and need support, such as a trellis, to climb up. The soil should be moist but free-draining, and plants should have about 4" spacing. Plant when the soil has warmed up in Spring, in a sunny position. In cooler climates grow as an annual

 

Propagating by seed

From Early Spring TO Late Spring

The seeds need to be nicked or filed, then soaked overnight in water that is at room temperature, before planting. Seeds can be sown directly into the garden at 3" - 4" spacing, once the soil has warmed up, or can be started off indoors at a temperature of 70°-75° F. Germination is usually 15-20 days

 
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