Clitoria TERNATEA

Clitoria TERNATEA - Butterfly pea, Blue pea, Pigeonwings, Asian pigeonwings, Anchan, Clitoria ternatea.

Clitoria is a genus of plants in the legume family (Fabaceae), comprising about 70 species. They grow in Southeast Asia, in the tropics of Central and South America, in the temperate zone of North America, as well as in Africa and Australia.

Members of the genus are perennial evergreen lianas, shrubs, and subshrubs, reaching 3.5 m (11.5 ft) in nature. Stems are often prostrate. Leaves are pinnate, most often trifoliate; leaflets are lanceolate-ovate, up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long, dark green above and glaucous beneath.

Flowers are usually solitary, axillary, and large: the standard petal grows up to 5 cm (2.0 in). The wings and keel form a dense crest up to two-thirds the diameter of the standard, and pollinators must climb inside this crest to reach pollen. Flowering lasts about five months, from May through September. The fruit is a flat pod 4-13 cm (1.6-5.1 in) long.

Butterfly pea is one of the most spectacular tropical vines: undemanding, resilient, and very fast-growing. Early flowering and rapid growth allow it to be trained into attractive hanging baskets for rooms and summer verandas, and with early shoot pinching it readily turns into a compact bush.

Leaves are pinnate, consisting of 5-7 leaflets. Flowers are bright blue, about 5x4 cm (2.0x1.6 in), resembling a butterfly with widely opened wings. Double-flowered forms and white-flowered varieties also occur.

Clitoria seeds are dense, dark, maturing in flat pods. Their coat is hard, so before sowing the seeds require preliminary treatment. Stratification is not required.

Seeds are held for 1-2 hours in a 1% potassium permanganate solution, then soaked for 10-15 hours in warm water with the addition of a growth stimulant: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon, most conveniently in a thermos so the water does not cool down. Then they are sown into a loose nutrient-rich substrate, moistened with a spray bottle, covered with plastic wrap or placed in a propagator, and germinated in the light, but not in direct sun, at a temperature of 21-24 °C (70-75 °F).

Under favorable conditions, the first sprouts emerge in as little as 7 days; main germination is completed within 7-14 days, while individual seeds may delay very long, up to 4-5 months. Sowings are ventilated regularly; waterlogging and desiccation are unacceptable. Pricking out is carried out after the formation of 2-3 true leaves, into individual small pots. Seedlings begin blooming approximately 6 weeks after germination, and strengthened seedlings are planted out into open ground only during the warm season. With a February sowing, blooming begins in June.

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The plant needs good lighting, indoors preferably a south-facing window, but it tolerates harsh rays poorly in extreme heat and needs shading. In summer, clitoria can be planted out into open ground.

The optimal temperature is 20-25 °C (68-77 °F). In winter, the plant comfortably tolerates 12-15 °C (54-59 °F), but the temperature should not drop below 10 °C (50 °F). Garden specimens are dug up before winter and brought into a heated room. Clitoria dislikes drafts.

Watering is regular but moderate, using settled room-temperature water. In winter, watering is reduced to a minimum. The plant does not require special air humidification, but periodic misting is beneficial.

The substrate needs to be loose and well-drained: a mix of turf soil, sand, humus, and peat. Planting is done in a pot with drainage holes, with drainage placed at the bottom.

Feeding is applied from spring through autumn once every two weeks with mineral fertilizer: clitoria responds to regular nourishment with profuse blooming.

In spring, perennial specimens are trimmed and potted on into a larger container. Young plants are pinched back if a shrubby form is desired, while vines are provided with a support. Besides seeds, clitoria is propagated by cuttings from April through July: they root well in sand, loose moist soil, or peat pellets. The plant is susceptible to spider mites, so it is inspected regularly and treated with acaricides if necessary.