Grey Speckled Palapye (Field) African Pea
Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata
Seeds per pack ~ 60 Germination: 99% (Packed for 2025)
This vegetable seems to have a different name in each section of the country. Southern peas are also called cowpeas, field peas, crowder peas, and black-eyed peas. Several varieties have historically been cultivated in Africa, and were transported to the Americas via the transatlantic slave trade, hence a new term, African Peas. By whatever name you call them, they’re an old favorite in the U.S. South.
Grey Speckled Palapye (Vigna unguiculata) traditionally referred to as a cowpea is a landrace pea originating from Palapye, Botswana, in Africa. It has been cultivated for generations by smallholder farmers in Southern Africa and is known for its drought tolerance, adaptability to semi-arid climates, and nutritional value.
The seeds of this African pea are a beautiful mottled purple. It very much resembles the 'Tetateche Grey-Mottled' variety introduced by Native Seeds/SEARCH, but whereas the Tetapeche traces its most recent provenance to northern Mexico, the 'Grey Speckled Palapye' was collected in recent decades in Botswana — on the African continent where this species originated. It's fascinating to imagine how these plants found their way from isolated indigenous communities in Africa to isolated indigenous communities in the Americas.
Our stock of seeds traces back to Dr. William Woys Weaver's Roughwood Collection in Pennsylvania. The Palapye is a highly productive African pea which our friends at Adaptive Seeds in Oregon praise for being one of the only Southern peas to thrive in their unique climate. Given that it also thrives in the mid-Atlantic and south-central Africa, it's safe to assume this is a versatile legume that will do well almost anywhere. This species is typically grown for its protein-rich seeds (the most well-known of the species is the "black-eyed pea"), which can be cooked fresh or dried, or for their pods, which are like earthier green beans.
But the nutritional powerhouse of African peas is actually the leaves, which are rich in protein and mild in flavor. They are tasty raw or cooked, and are produced in abundance. Nitrogen-fixing Vigna unguiculata also make great cover crops and green manure, often grown between other crops or tilled into the soil. If you're not growing African peas, you don't know what you're missing!
Appearance: The seeds are light grey or tan with dark speckling or mottling, that grow on long green pods that dry to a straw color. The plant produces semi-erect to trailing vines with trifoliate leaves and small purple flowers.
Culinary Uses: High in protein, fiber, iron, and folate, Grey Speckled Palapye beans are traditionally cooked as dry peas in stews, soups, and porridges. As with many African dishes, the young leaves and pods are edible and used as leafy vegetables in traditional dishes.
Growing Tips: Thrives in warm, dry climatic regions and is drought-tolerant. Prefers sandy or loamy, well-drained soil; tolerates poor soil conditions. Sow after the last frost when soil is warm. Space seeds 2–3 inches apart in rows 18–30 inches apart. Prefers full sun (6–8+ hours daily). Moderate water is advised with deep and infrequent watering preferred. Generally hardy to insect pests in dry regions, but monitor for aphids, thrips, and fungi in humid areas.
Harvest Advice: For green use: Harvest tender pods or pick young leaves for cooking. For dry beans: Allow pods to dry fully on the vine until brittle and rattling. Thresh and store in a cool, dry place.
Botanical Origins of Vigna unguiculata
Vigna unguiculata, commonly known as cowpea, black-eyed pea, or southern pea, is a species of legume that originated in sub-Saharan Africa. Its wild relatives are native to tropical regions of West Africa, where the plant evolved in dry savanna ecosystems characterized by seasonal rainfall and poor soils. Genetic and archaeological evidence points to the Sahel region—spanning modern-day Niger, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso—as the primary center of domestication. This region’s fluctuating climate favored plants that could tolerate drought, leading to the selection of early cowpea types adapted to marginal soils and variable moisture. The species’ genetic diversity is greatest in Africa, supporting its identification as the evolutionary cradle of the crop.
History of Domestication
Domestication of Vigna unguiculata likely began more than 3,000 years ago, when early African farmers began selecting plants with larger seeds, less pod shattering, and improved taste. These cultivated forms were closely associated with the rise of settled agriculture in West African communities that also grew millet and sorghum. Archaeobotanical finds from central Ghana and the Niger River basin confirm cowpea’s early presence in African farming systems. Its rapid domestication was driven by its multipurpose utility—as a source of protein-rich seeds, edible leaves, and soil-enriching green manure.
Spread and Diversification
From West Africa, domesticated cowpea spread along ancient trade routes both within Africa and beyond. It moved eastward into Ethiopia and down into southern Africa, where it diversified under local growing conditions and cultural preferences. Through trans-Saharan trade and contact with the Mediterranean world, Vigna unguiculata reached India by around 2,000 years ago, and later spread to Southeast Asia. The species was introduced to the Americas in the 16th–17th centuries via the transatlantic slave trade, where enslaved Africans carried seeds and culinary traditions that became embedded in Southern U.S. food culture. In the Americas, cowpea adapted to new environments and diversified into varieties such as the black-eyed pea, clay, cream, and crowder types. Today, it is a global crop cultivated across tropical and subtropical regions, valued for its resilience, nitrogen-fixing ability, and central role in food security.
