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Welcome! As "Annie in Austin" I blog about gardening in Austin, TX with occasional looks back at our former gardens in Illinois. My husband Philo & I also make videos - some use garden images as background for my original songs, some capture Austin events & sometimes we share videos of birds in our garden. Come talk about gardens, movies, music, genealogy and Austin at the Transplantable Rose and listen to my original songs on YouTube. For an overview read Three Gardens, Twenty Years. Unless noted, these words and photos are my copyrighted work.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Blue Pea Vine


Here's a photo for Kate who gardens in Saskatchewan. I don't know if the summer there would be long enough or warm enough for her to grow this beautiful blue annual flower, but she's very successful with blue morning glories! Blue pea vine is also called Blue Butterfly Pea, and by its botanical name, Clitoria ternatea.

7 comments:

kate said...

Hi Annie,

Now that is a gorgeous blue ... much richer and deeper than the blue morning glories. I once tried growing this from seed - it grew to about 10 inches and died. The seeds were expensive so I haven't tried again. It is really pretty.

Thank you for posting a picture for me. I like this addendum blog - I have to remember to check it. It is a cool idea!

Ki said...

That's about the bluest blue you can see in a flower.

Lori said...

I just poked my head in here after your comment on Vertie's post about morning glories. I don't think I've seen a more intense blue on a flower, and that includes the morning glory "Heavenly Blue." Is the blue pea vine tricky to grow down here?

That said, I look at the botanical name and laugh like I'm 12 and wonder whether the blue color is supposed to be symbolic or something. Some things never change. ;)

Annie in Austin said...

Twas Linnaeus himself who noticed the resemblance, Lori!

I can't find the thread, but a few years back there was an amusing dialogue on a GardenWeb forum about what would be appropriate to plant with a group of the startlingly anatomical Stinkhorn mushrooms.

Clitoria ternatea and Phallus impudicus seem like a natural pair to me!

Annie

Annie in Austin said...

Oh, and as to growing it - I bought one started plant in spring 2005 - it grew wonderfully and I kept some seeds. Those seeds sprouted in 2006 but the last 2 springs the Butterfly Pea has reseeded by itself.
I noticed that some seedlings popped up where they'll have to be weeded out - should I pot them up for you or Vertie? They should still bloom this year if you can bring yourself to water them!

I'll also save seeds for next spring.

Annie

Lori said...

Annie - If common names count, what about Blue Globe Thistle? ;D

And I'd love some starts-- I have a rose pillar stuck in a pot in the back with nothing growing on it. :)

LindaCTG said...

Oh, it is lovely! Do you have to replant every year?