Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

hairypod cowpea

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Vigna lutea

Family:

Fabaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

vine

Size:

Scrambling vine.  Stems 6-10 ft or longer and can make mounds up to about 6 ft tall.

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow

Fruit Color:

brown legume

Phenology:

Annual to perennial. Can bloom year round. More likely to fruit in fall.

Noted For:

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Naturalistic areas especially near the coast.  

Considerations:

Tends to be weedy in behavior and appearance.

Availability:

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Somewhat moist, no flooding ---to--- Somewhat long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Soil pH:

Suitable to Grow In:

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Mammals

Larval host for cassius blue ( Leptotes cassius ), dorantes longtail ( Urbanus dorantes ), gray hairstreak ( Strymon melinus ), and long-tailed skipper ( Urbanus proteus ) butterflies. 





Nectar source for gray hairstreak.





Attracts bees which are documented pollinators of the genus.

Likely used as forage by species such as deer. 





Good cover.

Native Habitats:

Coastal areas, flatwoods, disturbed areas.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

The flowers and seeds are edibe.  This is botanicallly a bean kin to mung beans and black-eyed peas (also botanically a bean). The flowers can be eaten raw or cooked and apparently taste much like green beans.  The seeds and seed pods The seeds may be boiled and eaten.  Very young whole seedpods are eaten raw as a trailside nibble, although they tend to get stringy when they approach two inches long (Florida Foraging).  Can also be grown for forage and for soil enrichment.

General Comments:

Range includes areas usually relatively near the coast in Southeastern United States west to Texas, north to North Carolina, and south to the Monroe County Keys; and Mexico,  the Neotropics and Bermuda. Rare in the northern parts of its range and in the Florida keys.