Black Peanuts

Very limited quantities! Please limit to one packet per customer so that more can enjoy and preserve this legume! We will refund you if you order more than one. 

Black Peanuts have a beautiful purple-black skin and a delicious peanut flavor. They were passed from Harvey Yow, of Seagrove, North Carolina to my mentor, William Woys Weaver in Pennsylvania. These luscious bushy plants form plentiful peanuts underground on pegs.

Peanuts likely originated in in the valleys of Paraguay or in and around Bolivia. The oldest specimen (~7500 years old) was found in Peru. Peanuts traveled with Portuguese and Spanish ships, which carried enslaved Africans, and first arrived in Africa in the 16th century and in the American South in the 18th century. They were popular with West Africans on both sides of the ocean because of their similar habits and uses to the Bambara Groundnuts of Africa. Many enslaved Africans in the American South grew peanuts, if not also groundnuts, in their own gardens.

Read more about Black Pindar Peanuts in William Woys Weaver's out-of-print 100 Vegetables and Where they Come From (2000)

Days to maturity: 110-120

Seeds per pack: 20-25 seeds, unshelled (16 grams)

Germination rate: 94% on 12/26/2023

Planting / harvesting notes

Remove from shells and sow 1" deep indoors 3-4 weeks before planting. Transplate one month after last frost - these babies love heat! Space plants by 8-12". When the tiny yellow flowers are pollinated, they will form "pegs" that dig under the soil and create your peanut fruits. Harvest when soil is dry and evening temperatures dip below 40 degrees farenheit. Some peanuts may fall off the plants and remain in the soil during harvest. Do a second check with a fork or rake to find any you left behind. Let the plants dry in the sun for a few days before removing peanuts. Allow peanuts to cure for up to a week before storing.

Seed keeping notes

Isolate your different peanut varieties by 50 feet to avoid unwanted cross pollination.

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