Fagiolini dell’occhio Cowpea
Item Details
This highly productive and beautiful yardlong bean bears pale-violet flowers and pods uniformly distributed throughout the plants. Tall vines require a strong trellis, with each stalk producing 1-2 solid-green pods encasing 16-20 brown-red, kidney-shaped seeds. Tender, juicy pods mature mid-season, reach 2' long, and have excellent flavor. This cowpea is especially delicious when eaten as a tender green bean. Grown by Vasco Marconi since at least the late 1950s in Chicago, this variety has been stewarded by family member Patti Trotsky of Naperville, Illinois, since the late 1990s. Patti donated seeds to Seed Savers Exchange in 2013.
- Organic
- From the Collection
- Highly productive vines with violet flowers
- Green pods grow up to 24 inches long with 16-20 seeds each
- Delicious as a tender green bean
Growing Instructions
Instructions - Cowpeas thrive in hot temperatures and full sun. Sow seeds outdoors when the soil has fully warmed. Thin to 3-6" apart. Seeds will germinate in 5-7 days.
- Direct Seed: 2" Apart
- Direct Seed: 1" Deep
- Rows Apart: 36-48"
- Light: Full Sun
Ratings & Reviews
2 reviews
Great harvest & fun to grow
by Kate
Grew these last year. Easy plant to grown with beans growing quickly once the plant was established. Longest one we measured was 26 inches. Kids loved growing them, picking them, and eating them. Just kept coming on all season. Ended up drying some beans for fun. Will grow again!
Easy and a conversation starter
by Phyllis
I just picked my first harvest. I now have a pot of snaps simmering on the stove. I found an Italian recipe for these that has sausage. I will make that the next batch. I am looking forward to a continued harvest. Very easy to grow this novelty. I plan on saving seeds for my spring garden