A fan favorite, our Butterfly Pea flowers (Clitoria ternetea) is the belle of the farm. Not only are the brilliant blue blooms gorgeous, but this plant is also good for our soil health as she is a nitrogen fixing crop. Check this out - it is even used as an eco-friendly insecticide. We hope to expand our grow next season. While it is a perennial in zones 10 and 11, we grow it as an annual in our zone 7b.
Notable amongst its repertoire of chemical components are anthocyanins which give C. ternatea flowers their characteristic blue color, and cyclotides, ultra-stable macrocyclic peptides that are present in all tissues of this plant. The latter are potent insecticidal molecules and are implicated as the bioactive agents in a plant extract used commercially as an insecticide. Insects do not eatt his plant - it is such a botanical boss.
Butterfly pea are packed with antioxidants like polyphenols and flavonoids, and traditional medicine practitioners have long used it to relieve fever, inflammation, and pain. Butterfly pea flowers may be linked to several health benefits, including increased weight loss, better blood sugar control, and improvements in hair and skin health. It has also been used to provide menstrual health support and as a natural aphrodisiac. The plant has also been shown that may also protect our brain health as we age. A 2015 review of studies published in the Journal of Natural Remedies found that it contains alkaloid, taraxerol, and anthocyanin which can work to help ease stress and boost your memory.
Nothing beats a cup of this delicious blue tea which is like liquid magic. Add an acid like lemon, and it changes from blue to purple. When paired up with hibiscus in our RICH AUNTEA, it makes a beautiful purple hue that is almost too pretty to sip.
Disclaimer: Information shared on this site is for educational purposes. The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment or advice. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbal medicine, particularly if you have a known medical condition or if you are pregnant or nursing. Although we do our best to provide accurate and useful information, you are responsible to research and verify information before relying on it. We are medicinal plant and herbs farmers, herbalists, and tea blenders. We are not licensed or registered healthcare practitioners. We are also believers in the safety and efficacy of botanical medicine.