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Product Info
Spurred Butterfly Pea Centrosema virginianum
Legume FamilySpurred Butterfly Pea is a twining native vine that can sprawl along the ground or weave its way through surrounding vegetation. Its large, purple flowers resemble butterfly wings and are short-lived, but the plant continues producing new blooms throughout the summer. The flowers are followed by distinctive, flattened, hairy seed pods. Naturally found in dry, open woodlands and woodland edges, Spurred Butterfly Pea is adaptable to a wide range of soil types and can grow in full sun to part shade. Like other members of the legume family, it forms a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in nodules on its roots. These bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form the plant can use, allowing Butterfly Pea to thrive in relatively nutrient-poor soils and contributing to the long-term fertility of the surrounding ecosystem. Due to its vigorous, spreading habit, this species may become aggressive in small or highly maintained gardens.
Blooms: Purple, 6-8 weeks, June-Sept
Leaves: Trifoliate, tacky to the touch
Height: 1-3’
Space: 1-2’
Soil: Average-Dry-Moist
Exposure: Full sun-Part Sun-Part Shade
Fauna: Bees, butterfly host plant
Seeds: Pea-like pods are flat
Deer Resistance: High
Zone: 5-9
Native Status: NC Native, common across the state
Provenance: Unknown , seed and asexually produced
