Clitoria Ternatea, Aparajita (Mix Color, Hybrid) - 0.5 kg Seeds

Clitoria ternatea, the Butterfly Pea or Aparajita (Shankhpushpi), is a slender perennial twining vine of the legume family rather than a tree, with soft pinnate leaves and striking solitary flowers, here a hybrid mix of deep blue, mauve and white blooms shaped like a conch shell.

It is grown as a fast, free-flowering ornamental climber for fences, trellises and arches; the vivid blue flowers yield a natural food and tea colour, the plant has a long medicinal history in Ayurveda, and as a nitrogen-fixing legume it is also used for fodder, green manure and as a cover crop. It is grown throughout India in gardens and farms, thriving in warm conditions on most well-drained soils with full sun.

• Family: Fabaceae (Faboideae)
• Native region: Tropical Asia
• Mature height: 2-4 m (climbing)
• Growth rate: Fast

The hard-coated seeds germinate readily after a little help. Nick (scarify) or soak the seeds in water overnight until they swell, then sow them directly where they are to grow, or in trays, about 1-2 cm deep in well-drained soil. Germination is quick at about 7-14 days; thin or transplant young seedlings near a support they can twine onto, and they begin flowering within a couple of months.