Michels Cowpea
Item Details
Donated to Seed Savers Exchange by Audrey (Michels) Kreutzer of Kansas. Originally collected by her brother, Vince Michels, in 1941 from a Tennessee farm field that his Army unit marched by. A family favorite in bean soup. Cream-colored seeds with brown mottling, 8-10" pods with 10-20 seeds per pod. Sprawling vines with purple flowers.
- 85-95 days
- Organic
- Sprawling vines with purple flowers
- Green pods grow 8-10 inches long with 10-20 seeds
- Cream-colored seeds with brown mottling
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
3 reviews
Ideal cowpea flavor
by Kristofer
Bountiful production with incredible flavor. Deals with hot, full sun extremely well. Grows thickly on a trellis, neighboring okra stalk, tomato vine - anything it can get its tendrils around. Beautiful mottled color deepens to a pinto-like brown when cooked with a creamy texture. My new favorite field pea.
great cowpea
by SARA
Give these puppies space to spread! I unwittingly tossed these in a couple of vacant spots in my beds, imagining they'd be a similar size to a bush bean. Nope! Big, beautiful, strong plants occupied about 2'x2' area, with vining branches that climbed trellis (and other plants) well. Produced well in arid Texas, zone 8B. They loved the sun and the heat. Fresh peas and dried peas are both delicious. For fresh peas, the pods do blend in, but turn creamy colored as they dry, so they become easier to spot. Will grow again for sure!
Best Tasting Peas by Far!
by Lonnie
These peas flourished in our garden. They covered my trellis and didn't seem to mind the hot, dry weather. I planted Michels Cowpeas and Pink Eye Purple Hull pleas and the Michels Cowpeas are the hands down winners. My only regret is that I didn't grow enough. Next Spring I'm going to make these a huge part of my garden.