Butterfly Pea Flower: The Color-Changing Plant Every Garden Needs
Updated: Sep 14
Butterfly Pea Flower - Nature's Magician!
Butterfly pea flower doesn't just look beautiful in the garden; steep the dried petals in hot water and watch your tea shift from deep blue to vivid pink right before your eyes. It's one of the easiest "wow" plants you can grow, and this guide covers everything from planting to that color-changing party trick. Try my cold color-changing lemonade here.
Butterfly pea is an easy-to-grow plant and has been used for centuries for tea, natural dyes, and food coloring.
Read this article to learn more about this amazing plant.
What Is Butterfly Pea?
How did I decide I wanted to grow the beautiful butterfly pea flower? When I first saw butterfly pea in a tea from a popular tea company, I was curious. The tea was a color-changing tea, and I wanted to know how that was possible. I did some research and found that the butterfly pea reacts when an acid, like lemon, is added to the tea. My mind was blown, and my next thought was: can I grow my own butterfly pea flower?
This week is my 2nd week in my 3-part grow your own tea series. Today's post will cover butterfly pea flower, and hopefully, by the end of this post, you will be inspired to grow it in your garden!
How To Grow Butterfly Pea
Butterfly pea flowers are most notably known for their vibrant blue color. For years, these flowers have been used for dyeing, tea, and medicinal use. More recently, this flower has become popular thanks to its color-changing properties. After learning about this flower, I knew I had to grow it. Of course, I purchased my seeds from Baker Creek.
Butterfly pea flowers allow people to create a beautiful blue dye, naturally! In addition, there are some beliefs that the flowers contain antioxidants, medicinal properties, and hydration. An article from Healthline goes into further detail about the benefits.
Tips To Grow Butterfly Pea Flowers
Scarify seeds by nicking and soaking for 24 hours prior to planting - this helps with germination
Start seeds indoors 10 weeks prior to planting outdoors
Vining plant that prefers full sun
Plant about 4" apart and use a trellis
When to Harvest Butterfly Pea Flowers
Like other plants you harvest and dry, butterfly pea flowers need to be harvested carefully. After the flowers have bloomed and slightly shriveled and started to dry on the vine, you carefully pinch the base of the flower and pull the flower off. Then you should see a pod starting to form after the flower is removed.
Additionally, if you are hoping to save seeds, the pods need to grow and dry on the vine. Of course, the pods will look similar to other pea pods and need to be watched. Watch the pods when they start to dry to ensure they don't split open and spill the seeds!
In addition to harvesting carefully, you will need to let the flowers dry after harvesting. I recommend placing the flowers on a cheesecloth in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks. After the flowers are dry, store them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Use for tea, dye, or use the flowers for a pop of color on grits or salads.
What will you create with butterfly pea flowers? If you want a refreshing drink, try my color-changing lemonade!
Check Out All The Posts In This Series:
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