Calico Crowder Pea

Delicious creamy peas on sprawling vines. They are wonderful picked fresh and still lovely once dried to where the seed rattles inside the pod (and much easier to shell!) Cream colored peas with maroon splotches. Also known as Hereford Pea and Polecat Pea, some say this variety is a pre-Civil War variety from the early 1800s.

Days to maturity: 80-110

Seeds per pack: 60

Germination rate: 82% on 12/20/2023

Planting / harvesting notes

Direct sow black-eyed peas safely after frost, any time between late May and mid-July. Trellis recommended. Full sun, plenty of room and airflow. I like to thin to 1' spacing. Wonderful picked fresh and still lovely once dried to where the seed rattles inside the pod (and much easier to shell!)

Seed keeping notes

Black-eyed peas are self-pollinating, though it is best to isolate different varieties of V. unguiculata (including black-eyed peas, southern peas, cowpeas, and long beans) at least 20 feet, if not much farther to avoid unwanted cross-pollination. Allow beans to dry fully into a brown crispy state. This is when they are ready to harvest for seed. If necessary, lay them out to dry a little longer in their pods.

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