Vigna unguiculata Seeds | Cowpea
LATIN NAME: Vigna unguiculata
COMMON NAME: Cowpea
Plant Profile
A distinctive member of its genus, Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a bushy annual in the pea family. It likes sun, and well-drained soil. Its flowers draw a steady traffic of bees and other beneficial insects. In combination, these characteristics make a persuasive case for growing it.
Science & Biotechnology
Within the pea family, Vigna unguiculata is of continuing interest to researchers working on plant diversity, seed biology and the selection of improved garden forms. Nitrogen-fixing roots of cowpea give it a long place in research on drought-tolerant grain legumes of pea family, and unguiculata species appears in studies of low-water cropping and seed nutrition. Raising it from seed today is a matter of ordinary good practice rather than specialist skill.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Cowpea has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. In warm kitchen garden, cowpea twines warm garden with leafy vines and long pods. Beans serve stews, salads and dried stores for generations, young pods serve greens, and roots enrich the soil. It grows well in well-drained, sunny ground. It establishes readily and then requires nothing out of the ordinary.
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
Cowpea grows readily from seed. Level a tray of loose seed compost, sow evenly, cover to about the seed’s own depth, and keep it moist in full light. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
As a bushy annual, it settles into a routine quickly once established. Cowpea is the kind of plant that rewards a permanent spot. Fresh seed sown into evenly moist compost is most of the battle won.
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