Butterfly Pea is an herbaceous perennial vine with a wide native range, growing from the tropical and subtropical Americas up to the Eastern United States. In its natural state, it is often found in the dry, sandy soils of woodlands. In North Carolina, it can be found in pine forests and coastal uplands. Butterfly Pea grows by either trailing along the ground or twining around vertical structures. If grown without supports, it will sprawl over the ground as an effective ground cover. The plant's extensive root system makes it useful for stabilizing soils. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria that form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant, but some is also used by other plants growing nearby. Butterfly Pea has butterfly shaped violet flowers, single or in clusters of 2 to 4 in the axil of compound leaves. The flowers of this delicate showy vine are recognized by their "upside-down" position. This plant blooms daily during the flowering season, however, the flowers are short-lived, only lasting half a day. Having no tendrils, it climbs by twining around structures. If no structures are present, it will spread over the ground as a ground cover. Its root system is extensive, thereby making it useful as a form of erosion control or to stabilize the soil. Butterfly Pea prefers well-drained dry or moist soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soils and sandy soils. It does well in mildly acid, neutral and mildly alkaline PH and tolerates very acid soils. It prefers full sun and tolerates partial shade, but cannot grow in the deep shade, and can tolerate drought. Although pollinated primarily by bees, it serves as a host for the Northern cloudywing and the Long-tailed skipper butterflies. Its high protein and mineral content make it a good forage crop for livestock. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Creeping; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Alternately arranged, veined, compound leaves with three leaflets each.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Irregular
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Singular, purple 1 1/2 inch flowers with a white central spot appear in clusters of 2 to 4. With a flat shape, the flower is similar to Clitoria mariana, but differs in having a pronounced scooped shape for its largest petal. Blooms throughout the summer.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
A flat pod that will open to eject the seed when it is ripe.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The delicate, thin, flexible stems allow the plant to trail and climb. They have no tendrils.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southeastern United States
Distribution
Southeastern North America, from New Jersey southwards into the Tropics. Introduced into India