Vigna unguiculata
Black-eyed pea
Common names: Cowpea, Black-eyed bean
Photo: HeraldDesa at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The black-eyed pea (Vigna unguiculata) is native to Africa and prefers warm climates more than any other common bean. It produces long, slender pods with seeds that feature a distinctive dark eye, giving the plant its name. The plant tolerates dry, hot summer weeks well, making it suitable for sunny, sheltered beds or containers on a terrace. In the DACH region it thrives best in warm locations or after a pre‑sowing period indoors, as it dislikes early spring frosts and cool nights. Both young, green pods and mature dry seeds can be harvested for fresh use or storage.
Care instructions
Sow after the last frost, around mid‑May (week 20), directly in a warm bed or start indoors at the end of April. The plant needs a sunny, wind‑protected spot with loose, well‑drained soil. Water regularly but moderately: it dislikes standing water and can tolerate longer dry periods better than most other beans. Vining varieties such as ‘California Blackeye’ benefit from a trellis; bush types do not require support. Harvest pods young for cooking or allow them to mature on the plant if you wish to dry the seeds for storage.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, sandy
Feeding
Light feeder
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