Vigna unguiculata Seeds | Cowpea Sinensis
LATIN NAME: Vigna unguiculata
COMMON NAME: Cowpea
Plant Profile
Vigna unguiculata, commonly known as Cowpea, is a species with a long record in gardens. Cowpea is hardy, heat-loving bean of warm regions, and it has been a staple food of warm world for a very long time. Bushy or trailing plants carry fine, trifoliate leaves and small, white, purple or yellow pea-like flowers, and slender pods follow, holding small, kidney-shaped beans with dark eye at the hilum. Beans are eaten fresh or dried, and young pods are cooked like green beans. Its open flowers are a reliable stop for bees and other pollinating visitors. Together these qualities explain its long-standing appeal to gardeners.
Science & Biotechnology
Vigna unguiculata sits in the Vigna group, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Cowpea has a strong and well-documented place in plant science, and it has been studied for a long time as one of great staple food legumes of warm regions. With present-day seed handling, raising this species well within the reach of any careful grower.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Cowpea earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. Young pods and leaves are cooked as a vegetable, and dried beans are used in soups, stews and traditional dishes of the region. As a legume, plant feeds nitrogen back into soil, and tough, drought-tolerant ways make it a dependable crop in warm, dry seasons. Cowpea has been a staple food of warm regions for thousands of years, and it is one of the most important of the food legumes of the world. Routine care after establishment is refreshingly light.
Mung, adzuki, cowpea and their kin are the protein and fiber backbone of Asian kitchens, and mung bean’s cooling soup is a Chinese summer institution; they are among the most digestible of all legumes.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Cowpea under ordinary good conditions. A simple routine works well: sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly in a loose, well-drained seed compost, maintain even moisture, and provide bright light. Move strong seedlings into individual pots, keep them in good light, and set them out when the weather and their size agree.
Our Take
Cowpea settles in quickly once it finds its footing. Moisture matters most while plants are young; established plants cope with far more.
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