Vigna lutea

hairypod cowpea

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:

annual to short-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.

Light:

Moisture Tolerance:

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:

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.