Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea) - The Magical Butterfly Pea Tea

A touch of the tropics, bathing your balcony in deep blue: The Clitoria ternatea (also known as blue pea or butterfly pea) is a special Asian rarity that I would like to offer you here. It combines the breathtaking, exotic beauty of the species with extremely vigorous climbing characteristics. This plant owes its scientific name to the famous botanist Carl von Linné, while the species name refers to its origin, the Indonesian island of Ternate.

Scope of delivery: Per young plant in a 7cm pot.

Ready for dispatch from 22.06.26

Botanical Highlights in Detail:

Growth and delicate climbing art

The Clitoria ternatea grows as a vigorous climbing plant and quickly reaches a length of 2 to 3 meters in a good summer with a rather slender structure. Its delicate growth is particularly picturesque: it rapidly winds its way up anything it can grasp, providing light shade with its fine foliage. The upward urge is elegant and aspiring, making it the perfect container plant for trellises and obelisks on a summer terrace.

The magical secret and fascinating color change

The absolute highlight of the plant is its use in traditional Asian cuisine. If you pour hot water over the edible flowers, the tea turns deep blue. A fascinating phenomenon is the color change: as soon as a splash of lemon juice is added, the blue magically transforms into a radiant pink. A spectacular effect for drinks on warm summer evenings.

Spectacular butterfly flowers

In midsummer (July to August), the plant transforms into a sea of flowers. The up to 5 cm large flowers glow in an intense, velvety cobalt blue with a lighter center. Since such a pure blue is rare in the plant world, they are a magnet for admiring glances.

The secret to success: Location and proper care

The perfect location

For the blue pea to develop its full splendor, warmth is essential.

• Light and warmth: Full sun, warm and sheltered from wind is a must. A hot balcony or a sheltered courtyard are ideal. The plant needs summer heat to produce abundant flowers.

• Soil: The soil must be well-drained and nutrient-rich. During the growing phase, it is very thirsty, but waterlogging inevitably leads to root rot.

The way outdoors and alternative sowing in spring

• Spring: As soon as night frosts are no longer a threat (around mid-May after the Ice Saints), the pot can be moved outdoors. Initially, acclimatize the plant to the sun slowly in a semi-shady spot to avoid sunburn on the leaves.

• Sowing: Because overwintering indoors requires space, I often simply let the plant form seeds. These can be wonderfully sown on the windowsill in spring, and due to the enormous growth rate, you will have a stately plant again in summer.

Winter protection in practice: The safe way for tropical guests

This is where the crucial difference between theory and practice lies. Although Clitoria ternatea grows extremely fast, it absolutely cannot tolerate frost. In our latitudes, it will not survive the winter outdoors.

Therefore, for me, the golden rule is: play it safe and bring the plant indoors in autumn or grow it anew from seeds every year!

Here's how to safely get your butterfly pea through the cold season:

• Container growing: Keep the plant in a container from the start. This makes wintering uncomplicated.

• The perfect winter quarters: Since the plant comes from the tropics, it needs a lot of light indoors. After a strong pruning, you can wonderfully overwinter the plant in a bright south-facing window or in a heated conservatory. The temperature should ideally be between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius.

• Winter care: During this dormant phase, the plant needs much less attention. Keep the soil only minimally moist so that the root ball never becomes completely bone dry. Do not fertilize.

Use for balcony and kitchen

The Clitoria ternatea is a classic climbing artist that needs space on a climbing aid to unfold its splendor. It is the ideal exotic splash of color for small seating areas. Due to its edible flowers, it can not only be used as a decorative privacy screen but also directly provides the magical ingredient for impressive teas and cocktails of a very special kind.

My recipe tip: Magical Color-Changing Lemonade

So that you can try out the spectacular color play of the butterfly pea yourself, I have summarized my absolute favorite recipe for hot summer days here for you.

Ingredients:

• 10 to 15 fresh or dried Clitoria ternatea flowers

• 500 ml boiling water

• Juice of 1 to 2 fresh lemons or limes

• A little sugar, agave syrup or honey to taste

• Ice cubes and fresh mint

Preparation:

1. Place the flowers in a heat-resistant container, pour boiling water over them and let them steep for about 10 minutes. During this time, the water turns a beautiful deep blue.

2. Strain the flowers and sweeten the blue tea as desired. Then let it cool completely (preferably in the refrigerator).

3. Fill a large glass with plenty of ice cubes and pour the cold blue tea over it.

4. Now comes the magical moment: pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice into the glass in front of your guests. The acidity instantly transforms the deep blue into a vibrant pink!

5. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and enjoy ice cold.

Important health notes on use

Although the flowers of the butterfly pea are valued worldwide and safely used for drinks, there are a few properties of this plant that I would like to point out:

• Use only the flowers: For teas and as food coloring, only the petals may be used. The seeds and roots of the plant contain substances that can be slightly toxic and strongly laxative. Consumption of these plant parts can lead to abdominal pain and nausea.

• Caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding: In traditional medicine, the plant is historically also used for uterine stimulation due to special ingredients (so-called cyclotides). Pregnant and breastfeeding women should therefore, to be safe, completely avoid consuming butterfly pea tea.

• Enjoy in moderation: As with almost all herbs and medicinal plants, the tea should be drunk in moderation as a luxury food and not as a permanent water substitute by the liter.