Butterfly pea
Clitoria ternatea, family Fabaceae
A climbing herb with vivid blue flowers used for dye, tea and soil improvement
Butterfly pea is a perennial climbing plant with deep blue flowers marked in pale yellow, native to parts of Asia. It is grown as an ornamental, used to colour food and fabric, and valued in Ayurveda; its roots enrich soil through nitrogen fixation.
- Flowers change colour with pH, blue in water, pink with lemon or tonic
- Used to give nasi kerabu its distinctive blue hue in Malaysia
- Fixes nitrogen in soil through root bacteria symbiosis
- Young pods are edible; mature seeds are not
- Cyclotide compounds act as natural insecticides
What does Butterfly pea look like?
Butterfly pea is a climbing perennial with elliptic leaves and showy flowers about 4 cm long. The blooms are most often a rich blue with light yellow markings, though white and pink forms also occur. It bears flat seed pods 5–7 cm long, each holding six to ten seeds.
Where does Butterfly pea come from?
The plant originates from equatorial Asia, with its name tied to Ternate Island in Indonesia, where early specimens were collected. It has since spread to Africa, Australia and the Americas. The genus name refers to the flower’s shape, noted by a Polish naturalist in 1678.
When and how Butterfly pea blooms
It thrives in moist, neutral soil and grows as a vine with minimal care. As a legume, it partners with rhizobia bacteria in its roots to fix atmospheric nitrogen, enriching the soil when the plant decomposes. It rarely suffers serious pest or disease issues.
How Butterfly pea is used
In Southeast Asia, the blue flowers colour rice dishes like nasi kerabu and desserts such as pulot tartal. They also make a tea that shifts from blue to purple or pink with added acid. Young pods are edible; seeds are not. The flowers dye natural fibres and feature in Ayurvedic practice.
What Butterfly pea means
Known as aparajita in Indian Ayurveda and Shankhupushpam for its conch-like shape, it holds traditional medicinal value. Though used in modern drinks and dyes, it lacks human clinical trials. Its extracts serve as botanical insecticides, recognized for disrupting insect gut membranes.
Traditions that use it
Questions people ask about Butterfly pea
Where does butterfly pea come from?
It is native to equatorial Asia, especially regions of South and Southeast Asia, with its scientific name referencing Ternate Island in Indonesia.
What is butterfly pea used for?
Its flowers colour food and fabric, make a pH-sensitive tea, and feature in Ayurvedic tradition. Young pods are eaten, and the plant improves soil fertility.
Is butterfly pea safe to eat?
The flowers and young pods are used in cooking, but the mature seeds are not edible. It has a history of use in traditional medicine.
Why does butterfly pea tea change colour?
Anthocyanins like ternatins in the flower respond to acidity: adding lemon or other acids turns the blue infusion purple or pink.
Is it grown outside Asia?
Yes, it has been introduced to Africa, Australia and the Americas, and is used there for revegetation and as an ornamental plant.
Good reading and sources
- Be good to yourself in Chiang MaiBBC, Article
- NParksNational Parks Board, Singapore, Article
- USDA Plants DatabaseUS Department of Agriculture, Article
- Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
- Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
- Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database
- Clitoria ternatea on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Clitoria ternatea", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. It is not medical or foraging advice: many flowers are poisonous, and traditional uses are reported, not recommended. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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