Spurred Butterfly Pea

Year-round

A native twining vine for Memphis area gardens with showy purple pea-like flowers, easy sun and soil needs, and a bonus as a butterfly host plant.

• This vine is native to your part of Tennessee, so it fits naturally into a native or pollinator garden bed.
• It is a twining vine that climbs by wrapping around supports, or it can be left to sprawl as a groundcover if there is nothing for it to climb on.
• Give it full sun to part shade and well drained soil. It tolerates sandy, poor soil and does not need fertilizer because it fixes its own nitrogen.
• Water it while it gets established, then cut back to occasional watering during hot, dry stretches once it is settled in.
• It is a caterpillar host plant for the long-tailed skipper and northern cloudywing butterflies, so it feeds more than just pollinators.
• Pinch the growing tips now and then to keep it bushy instead of stringy.

Fall

Fall in Memphis brings the first frost, which ends this vine's top growth for the year.

• Memphis usually sees its first fall frost in late October to early November, and that is what blackens and ends the vine's top growth for the season.
• Once frost has killed the top growth, cut the dead vine back to a few inches above the soil.
• Leave a light layer of mulch over the root area afterward, since a herbaceous vine like this relies on its roots to come back next spring.
• If you want extra seed for next year, collect a few pods before that first hard frost hits.

Cutting back the frost-killed vine right after it blackens keeps a front bed looking tidy for HOA-conscious neighbors headed into winter.

Winter

Winter is dormant season here. There is nothing to do above ground until spring.

• Expect no visible growth. The vine is dormant and regrows from its root next spring rather than overwintering as a full plant.
• Skip watering and fertilizing completely while it is dormant.
• Leave the cut back stems and mulch in place rather than digging around the root area.
• If nothing resprouts by late May, when Memphis is reliably warm, replant, since a harder than usual winter can still kill the roots.

Spring

Spring is planting and establishment season for this vine in Memphis, timed to the last frost.

• Plant seeds or nursery starts after Memphis's last frost, usually in early to mid April.
• Nick the tough seed coat and soak seeds in water overnight before planting to help them sprout faster.
• Put up a trellis, fence, or other support right away since the vine starts twining as soon as it takes off.
• Keep the soil evenly moist while the young plant is putting down roots, then ease off once it is growing well.

Summer

Summer is peak bloom and peak heat in Memphis, and this vine needs the least help once it is established.

• Expect the heaviest flowering from June through September, which lines up with Memphis's hottest stretch.
• An established plant needs little extra water. Add some only during multi week dry spells.
• Guide new twining stems onto their own support so the vine climbs where you want instead of into a neighboring shrub or fence.
• Skip the fertilizer. Rich soil tends to push more leaf growth and fewer flowers on this plant.