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Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
				P

(Best months for planting Asparagus Pea in USA - Zone 5a regions)

P = Plant direct in garden where they are to grow.

This low spreading plant has small trifoliate leaves, and deep crimson flowers are borne in pairs. Harvest pods when approximately 2.5cm (1") long. ( about 80 days) Asparagus pea is easy to cultivate. It needs average moisture, full sun, and ordinary soil. It needs a long growing season to flower and fruit properly, so start it indoors in cooler areas.

Only the pods are edible for Lotus tetragonobolus. The other asparagus pea is the tropical plant Psophocarpus tetragonolobus, also known as Goa bean.

Support with twigs to keep the stems off the ground. Protect from slugs and snails. Pick pods when small as they become hard and dry if left too long.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Asparagus Pea

Cook quickly by steaming and serve with just a touch of butter and they are said to taste like their namesake .

Your comments and tips

24 Mar 13, Rana hay (New Zealand - temperate climate)

The seed packet indicates they can be seeded in late Summer or early Autumn. I live in Hamilton which I consider to be a cool temperate zone. Can I seed in April? Rana hay

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03 Nov 12, Dirk Visser (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

Asparagus Pea: I'd like to contact distributors of this seed in South Africa, as well as any information on theveg.

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22 Aug 12, Thomas Ting (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Hi, can we grow tropical Psophocarpus tetragonolobus Goa bean in Hamilton NZ?

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13 Aug 12, Diane (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

The Asparagus pea is a totally edible plant: leaves, flowers, bean pods as well as the roots. I knew them from the Highlands of PNG as a child. I remember well chatting to a Native gardener as he tended his garden. He told me if you want the bean pods, leave the flowers and the beans will grow. If you want the roots to develop, pick the flowers and eat them, but you get no beans. I loved the roots when cooked by the natives. Im not 100% sure but I think it was in the ground oven. His wing bean plants were tall and supported by sapling poles formed into a teepee shape. The flowers were pale and pretty in the pink-mauve-blue type shade, not red. The Highland's temperature was an even 20C to 22C almost year round with wet and dry seasons. Im keen to grow them in NZ as soon as I get them from King Seeds. I'd really like to get the seed from the PNG plants though...

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02 Aug 12, Kate (Australia - arid climate)

The page refers to 'lotus tetragonolobus' as being asparagus pea, but other web sites have indicated it is 'psophocarpus tetragonolobus' which is asparagus pea. Are they the same? If not are they interchangeable? Do they grow in the same conditions? Wikipedia indicates that only the pod of the lotus version is edible and pretty much all of the psophocarpus version is edible. Can you confirmed?

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05 Aug 12, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

There is confusion between the two. The 'Lotus' variety (aka purpurea) grows in cooler climates and just the pods are edible. Seedsavers suggest it originated in Africa. The 'Psophocarpus' variety is a tropical plant and most of it is edible. Wikipedia suggests it originated in New Guinea.

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29 Feb 12, ivy mcbee (Australia - tropical climate)

It's grow vigorous in Indonesia we called it "kacang kecipir" and Malaysia..

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14 Jan 12, Roz (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Asparagus Peas can be purchased on Ebay

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27 Oct 11, indra prasad (USA - Zone 8a climate)

where in sacramento can I find Asparagus pea ?

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04 Jul 12, Bim (USA - Zone 10a climate)

Am in SF. Bought my seeds at kitazawaseed.com. They are in Oakland CA.

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