Transform your garden and lifestyle with the Butterfly Pea Flower (Clitoria ternatea). Known for its striking blue blooms and rich history, this tropical plant is more than just a beautiful addition to your outdoor space. From culinary delights and natural dyes to medicinal uses and tea-making, the butterfly pea flower offers numerous benefits that captivate both gardeners and health enthusiasts. Dive into this guide to discover how to grow, care for, and enjoy the multifaceted advantages of this vibrant vine. Read on to uncover why adding this unique plant to your garden will be a decision you won’t regret.
Features of the Butterfly Pea Flower
The flower of a butterfly pea tree has a deep blue color and a butterfly-like shape, hence the name. Here are the features of this tree with a beautiful flower:
- Flower Color: The petals are typically an intense blue, but white forms exist, too. Anthocyanin is responsible for the blue color of the petals.
- Growth Habit: The plant is a fast-growing climber, making it perfect for covering fences, trellises, or garden walls.
- Edible Flowers: Flowers are edible in teas, food coloring, and cocktails (the plants create a dazzling blue tint).
- Medicinal Properties: In Ayurvedic medicine, butterfly pea flowers are thought to have antioxidant properties, as well as to help memory, and as a treatment for anxiety.
Growing and Caring for Butterfly Pea Flower
The butterfly pea flower plant is easy to take care of, and with these simple steps, you can have this lovely vine in your garden in no time.
- Light: Butterfly pea is a full sun plants, which means they need about 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily to produce many flowers.
- Soil: Moderately well-drained but very tolerant of a wide range of garden soils except waterlogged ones.
- Watering: The soil should be kept moist but not soaking wet all the time, as this can lead to root rot.
- Temperature: This plant needs warm temperatures in the tropical range but can survive a wide range of temperatures. It can tolerate cold weather, but it is frost-sensitive. It needs to be brought indoors or protected when it gets chilly.
- Support: Since it’s a climbing vine, it will need something to climb and creep.
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea: A Natural Blue Beverage
One of the most well-known uses is butterfly pea flower tea, a popular blue herbal tea that turns purple if lemon juice is added. It is caffeine-free and loaded with antioxidants.
- How to Make Butterfly Pea Flower Tea:
- Collect Fresh or Dried Flowers: Use fresh or dried butterfly pea flowers
- Boil Water: Bring water to a boil.
- Steep the Flowers: Put a handful of the flowers in the boiling water for 5-10 minutes until the water turns deep blue.
- Add Lemon (Optional): Add lemon juice to turn blue tea into purple tea.
- Sweeten and Serve: Stir in honey or other sweetener, and serve hot or iced.
Uses and Benefits of Butterfly Pea Flower
Beyond its beauty, the butterfly pea flower has multiple uses:
- Culinary: The flowers color the rice, desserts, and drinks blue and taste mildly sweet. The flowers are used in Southeast Asian cuisines, particularly in Thailand and Malaysia.
- Natural Dye: The flowers contain a red pigment, which can be used to dye food and textiles.
- Medicinal: Butterfly pea flowers are traditionally used to treat anxiety, stress, and inflammation; their antioxidant properties promote proper cognitive function and overall health.
- Cosmetics: Butterfly pea extracts are also used in cosmetics for their possible benefits to hair and skin.
Conclusion
If you haven’t heard of butterfly pea flower before, you soon will. This Asian plant, native to tropical countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia, produces beautiful, vivid blue blooms. It is also known as the ‘Clitoria ternatea’ flower, and its use in the kitchen, medicine, and beauty products has become increasingly popular.
This versatile perennial is easy to grow and grows well in tropical areas and temperate zones. If you think of planting butterfly pea flowers, it will almost certainly be for one of two reasons: either you want to grow it for its color or its edible and health benefits. Your choice in planting this flower will not be a mistake in both cases. The butterfly pea flower is an awesome plant. Its blue color is undeniably attractive for those interested in growing flowers for their allure. It will certainly draw the attention of anyone who sees it in your garden. But the butterfly pea flower is not just for the garden.
FAQ: Butterfly Pea Flower (Clitoria ternatea)
1. Is the Butterfly Pea Flower safe to consume?
Yes, the butterfly pea flower is safe to consume and is often used in teas, desserts, and other dishes. It is naturally caffeine-free and rich in antioxidants.
2. How do I make butterfly pea flower tea?
Steep fresh or dried butterfly pea flowers in boiling water for 5-10 minutes until the water turns a deep blue. Add lemon juice to turn the tea purple and sweeten as desired.
3. Can the butterfly pea flower grow indoors?
Yes, the butterfly pea flower can be grown indoors if it receives enough sunlight or is placed under a grow light. Ensure it has climbing support for healthy growth.
4. What climate is best for growing butterfly pea flowers?
Butterfly pea flowers thrive in tropical and subtropical climates but can be grown in temperate regions if protected from frost and cold weather.
5. How do I encourage more blooms?
To encourage more blooms, provide full sunlight (6-8 hours daily) and maintain warm temperatures. Pruning spent flowers can also promote new growth and additional blooms.
6. Are there any medicinal benefits?
Yes, butterfly pea flowers are known for their antioxidant properties and are traditionally used to support memory, reduce anxiety, and promote overall well-being.
Read also my article about 7 Essential Tips for White Bird of Paradise Care
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