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Atlantic Pigeonwings Clitoria mariana

Other Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
klih-TOH-ree-uh mar-ee-AH-nuh
Description

Butterfly Pea is a low-growing, dense, evergreen, perennial twining vine in the pea family that is native to the southeastern United States and often found in dry open forests or rocky or sandy woodlands. This plant has trailing stems, but seldom climbs and stays close to the ground. The twining vine is occasionally erect and boasts large, showy, lavender-pink, pea-like flowers. The flowers blossom from spring into the fall and are usually solitary, but occasionally up to 3. The blossoms appear in the axils of the plant's compound leaves.

This plant does best in dry sandy or loamy soil with good drainage. It prefers light shade, but will tolerate full sun and nutritionally poor soils. It is capable of fixing nitrogen into the soil.

This lovely plant is noted for its lavender-blue flowers with their large, rounded banner and trifoliate leaves, dark green above and a light, grayish-green beneath.

Quick ID Hints:

  • Young stems,leaves covered with reddish-brown hairs
  • Funnel-form flowers in spring, single or hose-in-hose
  • Low, dense shrub with crowded evergreen leaves in tiers
  • Calyx rounded, 5-lobed, short

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:

No known diseases or insect pests. The plant is habitat dependent and can be eliminated from an area by a change in land use or by competitive plants.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#purple#lavender#white flowers#purple flowers#fall interest#NC native#summer flowers#fantz#twining vine#sandy soils tolerant#vine#partial shade tolerant#perennial#climber#wildflower#woodland
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#purple#lavender#white flowers#purple flowers#fall interest#NC native#summer flowers#fantz#twining vine#sandy soils tolerant#vine#partial shade tolerant#perennial#climber#wildflower#woodland
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Clitoria
    Species:
    mariana
    Family:
    Leguminosae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Eastern and South Central United States west to New Mexico.
    Distribution:
    United States and southern Asia.
    Wildlife Value:
    Attracts butterflies, birds, and moths. Larval host to the long-tailed skipper.
    Climbing Method:
    Twining
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Native Plant
    Perennial
    Vine
    Wildflower
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Creeping
    Dense
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Fine
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Dry
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Type:
    Legume
    Fruit Description:
    The fruit is a flattened legume. The seed are sticky.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Blue
    Pink
    Purple/Lavender
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Raceme
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Long Bloom Season
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Summer
    Flower Size:
    1-3 inches
    Flower Description:
    Flowers bloom from May through September. This plant has 2 inch, pale lavender-blue to violet flowers. It has a large rounded standard which is notched at the tip. The keel and white petals are short. This plant has 1 to 3 flowers per stalk that arise from the axils of leaves. Small bud-like flowers are produced late in the season.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Smooth
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Lanceolate
    Ovate
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Stalked leaves are divided into 1 to 2 inch egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaflets. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and trifoliate. The leaflets are ovate to lanceolate in outline, glabrous above and glabrous or short pubescent beneath, with entire margins.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Form:
    Straight
    Stem Surface:
    Smooth (glabrous)
    Stem Description:
    Stems are erect to reclining or trailing, glabrous to sparsely pubescent with short, fine, curved hairs, and unbranched or branched from near the base. The stems are green in color.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Hanging Baskets
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Children's Garden
    Native Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Attracts:
    Butterflies
    Moths
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Dry Soil