WILD COWPEA
Vigna luteola - Fabaceae, Legume Family
DESCRIPTION: Twining or trailing herbaceous perennial vine
Height: Climbing vine
Flowers: Yellow, up to 3/4 inch long, all seasons
Fruit: Legume 2 inches long
Foliage: 3 leaflets, each to 2 3/4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide
Growth rate: Moderate
REQUIREMENTS:
Sun: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Sandy or clay soils
Drainage: Good to medium
Water: Moist
Maintenance: Medium: can grow out of bounds easily
Propagation: Seeds
NATIVE HABITAT: Roadsides, beaches, drainage ditches
WILDLIFE USE: Browse for deer, shelter and food for quail, larval food plant for the long-tailed skipper, and nectar for butterflies.
COMMENTS: Adds nitrogen to the soil. Ideal for resaca banks, moist roadside banks or a trellis adjacent to a pond/wet area.
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