Black-eyed Pea/ Cowpea Seeds - (Vigna unguiculata)

Black-eyed Pea/ Cowpea - Grow Some Good Luck

The Black-eyed Pea or Southern Pea has vigorous, high yielding plants that grow 24-40" tall and produces 7-9" pods. Wilt resistant, easy to grow and easy to cook.

Thomas Jefferson wrote about growing Black-eyed Peas in the 1770’s. They are considered a "lucky" food to eat on New Year's Day bringing prosperity to the New Year.

Uses

They are excellent as green shell or snap beans or more commonly dried like winter beans. Snap beans are harvested at 45 days and dry at 60+ days.

History

Neither a standard pea nor a bean, the cowpea belongs to a subtropical group of legumes characterized by upright bushes that bear beautiful lilac or white blossoms. Indigenous to Africa, cowpeas have been used in agriculture since ancient times. The crop spread to Europe, India and Asia more than 2,000 years ago. In southern China, a form with slender pods (asparagus bean) was developed. Cowpeas were introduced to the Southern states during the period of slave trade. Looked down on by the Southern aristocracy, they were christened with the name cowpea because they were thought fit only for animals to eat. Today, cowpeas are cherished in many cultures and the most famous is the black-eyed pea.

Growing Tip

The plant roots fix nitrogen from the air into the soil, making it available to soil bacteria that convert it into a plant available nutrient.

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