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Centrosema virginianum 'Pea Brain'

Butterfly Pea

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

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Item #: 11411

Zones: 5b to 9b, at least

Dormancy: Winter

Height: 72" tall

Culture: Sun to Part Sun

Origin: United States

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


Centrosema virginianum is virtually unknown in gardens despite being native from Illinois south to Florida and west to Texas. Our offering, Centrosema 'Pea Brain', is a NC seed strain. The deciduous pea relative is a 6' tall, twining vine clothed with dark green trifoliate leaves and adorned all summer long with an endless array of clitoria-like lavender-blue flowers. We grow centrosema on a deer fence where it thrives in full sun, masking the fence throughout the growing season. In the wild, centrosema is often found on well-drained sandy soils, but the addition of compost really makes it explode. Centrosema is late to break dormancy, not sprouting before mid-May in NC. Butterflies love centrosema, including long-tailed skippers and northern cloudywings. Centrosema is endangered in New Jersey, but so are many people who reside there.