Grow spurred butterfly pea in full sun to part sun, in soil that drains. It is also sold as butterfly pea, wild blue vine, or blue bell. It is not the tropical tea vine and not a sweet pea.
Give it full sun and soil that drains, and let the soil dry
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun to part sun | Do not plant it in deep shade |
| Water | Water to settle a new vine, then let the soil dry | Do not keep the roots soggy |
| Soil | Sand or loam that drains | Do not plant it in poorly drained clay |
| Support | Twine a fence, or let it trail as a cover | Do not wait for tendrils — it has none |
| Winter | Leave the roots in the bed | Do not treat it as a tropical tea annual |
Spurred butterfly pea wants open sun and soil that drains at once. Deep shade and wet clay rot the stems, because this native vine lives in dry sand and open woods, not in a bog. [1] spurred butterfly pea uses that site as three leaflets and inverted violet pea flowers. Stems run a few feet as a cover, or they twine a fence when one is there.
How much sun does spurred butterfly pea need?
Give it full sun to part sun. Deep shade leaves weak stems and few flowers.
How wet should the soil stay?
Water to settle a new vine, then let the soil dry. Soggy soil around the roots is the usual cause of rot.
Nick the seed, soak it, and plant after frost
Plant after the last frost, once the soil has warmed. Nick or scrape the hard seed coat, soak the seed overnight, and sow it in sand or loam that drains. [2] A potted vine goes in at the same depth. Give the stems room to twine or trail.
- Plant after the last frost, in soil that has warmed.
- Nick or scrape the hard seed coat, then soak the seed overnight in water.
- Sow it in draining sand or loam, or set a potted vine at the same depth.
- Water to settle the soil, then let it dry. Give the stems room to twine or trail.
How do I plant spurred butterfly pea?
Nick or scrape the seed, soak it overnight, and sow it after frost in sand or loam that drains. Water to settle it, then let the soil dry.
Start a cutting in the growing season
Most gardeners start this vine from nicked seed. You can also take a stem cutting during the growing season. [3] Keep a little mix on the nodes when you move a rooted piece, and replant at the same depth.
- Take a stem with at least two nodes during the growing season.
- Bury one node in moist mix that drains.
- Keep the mix barely moist until it roots, then let it dry like the bed.
- Do not start it in a soggy pot.
Can I grow it from a cutting?
Yes. Take a stem with two nodes during the growing season and bury one node in moist mix that drains. Most gardeners still start it from nicked seed.
Let it twine a fence, or trail as a cover
The stems have no tendrils. They twine a fence or a trellis, or they trail on open ground as a cover. Pinch lanky tips so the vine stays bushy. Leave the roots in the bed through winter. The tops die back, then new stems return from the crown.
- Give it a fence or a trellis to twine, or let it trail as a cover.
- Pinch lanky tips so the vine stays bushy.
- Leave the roots in the bed through winter. The tops die back, then new stems return.
- Do not shear it like a butterfly bush.
Do I prune spurred butterfly pea?
Pinch lanky tips, and let the vine twine or trail. Leave the roots in the bed through winter.
Not butterfly pea tea — and not a sweet pea or butterfly bush
A tag that says butterfly pea is often Clitoria, the tropical tea vine with upright sky-blue flowers. Spurred butterfly pea is Centrosema: its banner sits low and carries a spur. [4] See How to Grow Butterfly Pea.
Atlantic pigeonwings is Clitoria too — a shorter native that seldom climbs. A sweet pea is Lathyrus, a cool-season climber grown for scent — see How to Grow Sweet Peas. Butterfly bush is Buddleia, a woody shrub — see How to Grow Butterfly Bush. Butterfly weed is milkweed — see How to Grow Milkweed. English bluebells are bulbs, not this wild blue vine.
Is this the same as butterfly pea tea?
No. Butterfly pea tea is Clitoria, a tropical vine. Spurred butterfly pea is Centrosema, a native with a spurred banner. They are not interchangeable.
Set spurred butterfly pea in full sun and soil that drains, nick and soak the seed after frost, and let the vine twine or trail.
FAQ
Can I grow spurred butterfly pea in a pot?
You can, in a pot with a hole and mix that drains, with a small trellis or room to trail. Let the mix dry between waterings. It is happier in open ground once it is rooted.
Can I grow it indoors?
No. Indoor pea pots in shops are almost always a tropical tea vine or a sweet pea. Spurred butterfly pea is a native outdoor vine.
Can I make tea from it?
No. Blue tea comes from Clitoria ternatea. Grow this native for the vine and the flowers, not as a tea crop.
Is there more than one Centrosema?
Centrosema virginianum is the plant here. Sand butterfly-pea and Florida butterfly-pea are other names on wildflower lists, not extra kinds of this vine.
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/centrosema-virginianum/ - [2] Gardening Know How -
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/butterfly-pea/planting-butterfly-pea-flowers.htm - [3] Florida Wildflower Foundation -
https://www.flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-centrosema-virginianum/ - [4] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center -
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CEVI2
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors