It is a perennial climber from the pea and bean family, Fabaceae, grown across India and the tropics for its unusual flowers. The Sanskrit and Bengali name aparajita means "the undefeated". English speakers know it as butterfly pea, blue pea or Asian pigeonwings, and in parts of India it is sold as shankhpushpi or gokarna.
The stems are slender and wiry, and they twine around anything thin they touch, so the vine climbs a string, wire or grille by itself with no tying. Its leaves are soft, mid-green and feathery, each made of five to seven oval leaflets that give the plant a light, airy look even when it is dense.
The flowers are the reason to grow it. Each bloom is about 4–5 cm long, a single broad petal in deep cobalt or royal blue with a white-and-yellow throat, held like a small cupped shell against the green. Colour this saturated is rare in garden flowers, and it shows up from across a street. Each flower lasts a day or so, but a healthy vine opens new ones almost daily through the warm months.
After flowering come flat green pods, 6–10 cm long, that dry to brown and hold several seeds. Like other legumes, its roots host bacteria that fix nitrogen, which is one reason it grows so well in ordinary soil.
What it is not: a houseplant. Indoors it grows thin and rarely flowers. It wants a sunny spot outdoors.
Where does Aparajita grow best?
Anywhere it gets sun and something to twine around. It is compact enough for a balcony, which makes it one of the best flowering plants for balcony grilles that face east, south or west. Run a few strings from pot to railing and within a season it becomes a green-and-blue screen. On a rooftop it climbs a trellis or a pergola post, joining other climbers and flowers for a rooftop garden.
In a garden bed it covers a fence, a gate or a boundary grille quickly and asks for little in return. It is among the easiest vine plants for balcony railings and window grilles because it finds its own way up. For more ideas on what else thrives in a hot, open spot, see these outdoor plants that love full sun and heat.
Product Specifications
- Plant name: Butterfly Pea Vine (Aparajita Plant)
- Botanical name: Clitoria ternatea
- Also known as: Aparajita, blue pea, Asian pigeonwings, gokarna; sold in some regions as shankhpushpi
- Plant family: Fabaceae (pea and bean family)
- Plant type: Perennial twining climber, often short-lived (two to three years)
- Foliage: Soft, feathery compound leaves with five to seven oval leaflets
- Flowers: Single, about 4–5 cm, deep blue with a white-and-yellow centre
- Flowering season in India: Mainly spring to autumn, heaviest in summer and the monsoon; sparse in winter
- Fruit: Flat pods 6–10 cm long, drying to brown, with several seeds
- Growth habit: Self-twining; climbs strings, wires, grilles and thin supports
- Growth rate: Fast in warm weather
- Suitable placement: Sunny balcony grille, window grille, terrace trellis, fence, gate or garden bed; outdoors
- Light requirement: Full sun, four to six hours or more of direct sun
- Water requirement: Moderate; water when the top inch dries, less in winter
- Soil requirement: Loose, free-draining garden mix; no waterlogging
- Fertiliser: Light; compost every one to two months
- Temperature: Warm; happiest above about 18 °C, slows down in cool winters
- Propagation: Easily from seed; also from stem cuttings
- Difficulty level: Very easy
- Suitable environment: Warm, sunny climates; well suited to Bengal and most of the Indian plains
- Attracts: Bees and butterflies
- Pet and child safety: No confirmed pet-safety data; not listed by the ASPCA. Seeds are purgative; keep away from pets and children
How do you grow Aparajita in a pot?
- Light. Four to six hours of direct sun at minimum. More sun means more flowers; in shade the vine grows long and leafy with few blooms.
- Water. Water when the top inch of mix feels dry: daily in peak summer for a potted plant, every three to five days in the rains if the pot drains fast, and once a week in winter.
- Soil. Any loose, free-draining mix: two parts garden soil, one part compost and one part cocopeat or sand. Waterlogged soil is the one thing it cannot tolerate.
- Pot. At least 10–12 inches deep, with a drainage hole. A larger pot gives a longer, fuller vine.
- Support. Strings, a thin wire, a bamboo frame or a balcony grille. Thick poles are hard for its fine stems to grip.
- Feeding. A handful of compost every month or two is plenty. Being a legume, it needs little nitrogen, and heavy feeding gives leaves instead of flowers.
- Pods and deadheading. Pick spent flowers and young pods to keep the vine flowering. Leave a few pods to ripen if you want seeds, and harvest them once they turn brown and dry.
- Pruning. Trim straggly stems any time. A harder cut in late winter refreshes a tired vine.
When does Aparajita flower? A year with it in Bengal
These notes come from growing it at the aparajita beds at our Kolakata nursery.
Spring and summer, March to June. Flowering picks up as days warm and peaks as the heat builds. It is one of the summer flower plants that shrug off the heat, provided the pot never dries out completely.
Monsoon, July to September. The vine grows fastest now and flowers heavily, making it one of the reliable flowers that open all through the rainy season. Check that pots drain after every downpour and pick off yellowing lower leaves.
Autumn, October to November. Flowering carries on into the Puja season, when blue aparajita is offered during Durga Puja and on Vijaya Dashami.
Winter, December to February. Growth slows and flowers thin out. Water less, skip feeding and move the pot to the sunniest, most sheltered spot. Some leaf drop is normal, and the vine returns in spring.
Why is my Aparajita not flowering? Common problems and fixes
- Lots of leaves, few flowers. Usually too little sun or too much fertiliser. Move it into direct sun and stop feeding for a month.
- Yellow lower leaves. Overwatering or poor drainage, often in the monsoon. Let the top inch dry out between waterings.
- Sticky shoots or tiny insects. Aphids or mealybugs. Wash them off and spray diluted neem oil weekly for three weeks.
- Chewed leaves. Caterpillars. Pick them off by hand; the vine regrows quickly.
- Thin, sparse vine after two or three years. It is a short-lived perennial. Cut it back hard or raise fresh plants from its own seed.
Aparajita in Vastu and tradition
In Vastu practice, the vine is usually placed in the north, east or north-east, often near the main entrance, and it is associated with prosperity and protection. If you follow it, these notes on what Vastu says about placing plants at home cover the reasoning by direction. To be clear, these placements are modern convention rather than classical text. Its place in worship is older: the blue flowers are offered to Durga, Kali and Shiva, and many Bengal homes grow a vine by the door for daily puja.
Is Aparajita safe for pets and children?
There is no confirmed answer. The ASPCA does not list butterfly pea as toxic or non-toxic, and no reliable veterinary data exists for it. The seeds are known to have a strong purgative effect. The safest course is to keep the vine, and especially its pods and seeds, out of reach of dogs, cats and small children.
Companions for a blue-flowered grille
Plant madhabi lata over a gate nearby for fragrant white spring blooms that fill the months before aparajita peaks. For a red-and-blue puja corner, pair it with a red jaba hibiscus that flowers alongside it. To cover a larger pergola, add madhumalati for a pergola.
Bring home Bengal's favourite blue flower
Order an Aparajita vine today and give it a sunny grille to climb. We grow and ship climbers straight from our own nursery, so it arrives rooted and ready to start flowering.
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