Cow-pea, Hairypod cowpea
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Vigna luteola
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Fabaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also butterfly gardens. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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Availability: |
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Grown by enthusiasts. |
Description: |
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Scrambling or creeping vine. |
Height: |
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N/A; a vine with stems 6 feet or more in length. |
Growth Rate: |
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Fast. |
Range: |
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Southeastern United States west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Rare in the Monroe County Keys. |
Habitats: |
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Pinelands, coastal uplands and disturbed sites. |
Soils: |
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Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, with or without humusy top layer. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Low to moderate; it can grow in nutrient poor soils or soils with some organic content. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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Secondary line; tolerates significant salt wind without injury, but usually is somewhat protected. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |
Light Requirements: |
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Full sun. |
Flower Color: |
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Yellow. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Showy, 3/4" long |
Flowering Season: |
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All year. |
Fruit: |
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Hairy pod (legume) 2 1/2" long. All year. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Larval host plant 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. |
Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from seed. Sprinkle seeds on surface of soil and barely cover. Place container in full sun. |
Comments: |
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Can be somewhat weedy, but useful in coastal sites. |
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