Description: 80 days. The peas are purple-gray, with 15 per pod. A rare old southern heirloom (pre-1860). Richly flavored seeds are a must in old southern recipes and the pods when picked young are quite delicious! Even the leaves are flavorful! Perfect when cooked like spinach, with just as much flavor.
Cowpea Seeds, California Blackeye Pea:
Description: An old standard variety with vigorous, high-yielding vines. Thomas Jefferson grew Blackeye peas in the 1770s. Originating in Africa, cowpeas are easy to grow and are very popular in the South. A very ancient crop. The vines also produce excellent “greens” for cooking!
Description: 90 Days. Introducing a true Southern gem: J.T. Harris’s heirloom clay peas! This African American variety was a staple in the kitchens of the south for generations, famed for their flavor and hardiness.—talk about a historical bite! We’re thrilled to have unearthed this living treasure from the 1860s. These rare, earthy-colored peas were sourced from our buddy J.T. Harris in East Texas. Known for their resilience and incredible flavor, they’ve been passed down since 1867. Thanks to J.T., their legacy is still going strong. Enjoy a taste of tradition with these flavorful, time-tested peas!
Description: (Vigna unguiculata). 80 days. Valued for their excellent nutritional content, including high protein and essential vitamins. Ideal for both fresh eating and cooking, Holstein cowpeas can be used in soups, stews, and salads, or dried for long-term storage. Named for the famous cattle breed.
Cowpea Seeds, Ozark Razorback:
Description: Very productive bush plants yield an abundance of beautiful mottled peas with delicious, creamy flavor! University of Arkansas Razorback colors are red and white, just like these popular peas. Our seed was sourced from the late Blane Bourgeois of Salem, Arkansas.
Cowpea Seeds, Purple Hull Pinkeye:
Description: A delectable, nutty-flavored cowpea perfectly suited to the screaming hot summer heat in the South. This classic southern cowpea has long been a favorite of our customers for its impressive heat tolerance and wild productivity. The plants grow quickly in the face of intense weather and will produce tons of tasty, tender pods in a lovely green to purple color. These grow much like regular green beans, and produce rather quickly.
Description: Delicious and high-yielding variety! A rugged and reliable red-seeded cowpea to replenish your soils and fill your belly. This old Southern standby, which was also formerly known as the Tory pea, dates back to the 1850s. It was especially popular in Alabama and South Carolina. Farmers of yesteryear regarded it highly for the copious foliage or organic matter it produced, making it an exemplary soil-improving companion crop to corn. Since the early 1900s, a number of seed catalogs have lauded this variety for its drought and heat tolerance. A look back through antique American catalogs, especially those from companies in the Southeastern U.S., shows that Red Ripper was a must-have on the farm as a sustainable soil builder and delicious treat. This heirloom creates long, running vines, smothered in long 12-14 inch pods that are loaded with nutritious peas, up to 18 in a single shell! The flowers are a beautiful blue color and the immature pods make a perfect green bean substitute. In its native range in Africa, the cowpea has historically been grown alongside millet and sorghum as a nurse crop to improve soil. George Washington Carver also sang the praises of this almost-miraculous soil saver. The seeds for cowpeas were brought to the Americas by enslaved Africans, and over subsequent centuries this legume has revived ravaged soils and nourished many.
