Queen Anne Blackeye African Pea
Vigna unguiculata
50 seeds per pack.
An old favorite in the South, African peas are also called southern peas, cowpeas, field peas, crowder peas, and black-eyed peas. Dating back 4,000 years, the first evidence of domesticated field peas was found at an archaeological site in central Ghana in west Africa. Field peas are a main source of protein for people and livestock, but we consider the name “cowpea” to be of a piece with consistent attempts to dehumanize African American people. Field peas traveled with enslaved Africans to the Americas during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. They have become a staple of Southern cuisine in the U.S. and can be grown in most northern states.
By whatever name they are called they can be grown where both days and nights are warm for a period of 60-90 days. The mature pods grow 7” to 9”, each pod will yields 8 to 12 seeds. After about 69 days the Queen Anne Blackeye Pea pods turn the color of light straw, that is when they're mature and ready for picking. Highly recommended for green shell or dry use, freezing, or canning.
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.
