Type: Warm Season Annual • Family: Fabaceae (Legume) • Sun: Full sun (8+ hours) • Water: Low to moderate (very drought tolerant) • Soil pH: 5.5-7.0 • Hardiness: Tender annual—more heat tolerant than common beans
Growing Field Peas in your area
Field peas (crowder peas, cream peas, purple hull peas) are a Southern staple for fresh shelly beans and dry storage. Plant after soil 65°F+, 1" deep, 3-4" apart in rows 36". Inoculate with cowpea rhizobium. Very heat and drought tolerant—thrive when other beans fail. Harvest fresh (shelly) when pods change color, or dry for storage. Field peas fix significant nitrogen—excellent as a food/cover crop combination. The Southern tradition of 'peas and greens' is one of the most nutritionally complete meals in American cuisine.
Recommended Varieties
'Pinkeye Purple Hull'
The queen of Southern field peas. Green pods with purple eye. Exceptional flavor as shelly bean. Very productive. Heat and drought tolerant.
'Whippoorwill'
Pre-1860. Brown seed, prolific. Excellent dry bean with rich, nutty flavor. Great for WV conditions. Very reliable.
'Red Ripper'
Vining type with red-tinted seed. Very productive as dry bean. Excellent cover crop—massive biomass. Rich, earthy flavor.
'Mississippi Silver'
Silver-hulled cream pea. Mild, sweet flavor. Very productive. Compact bush. Good for small gardens.
Cultural History
Field peas arrived in America through the transatlantic slave trade, carrying West African agricultural and culinary traditions. These crops were often devalued by European Americans but formed the nutritional backbone of African American communities. The New Year's tradition of black-eyed peas for good luck is an African American cultural practice. Field peas represent one of the most significant African contributions to American agriculture.
Seed Saving
Seed saving varies by species.
The Loop Farmstead Standard
- Compost: 1-2 inches annually (on-farm production)
- Cover crops: Rye + vetch (fall), buckwheat (summer), daikon (compaction)
- Wood chips: Pathways only (aged 2+ years for beds)
- Biochar: Charged with compost tea (permanent carbon)
- Wood ash: Light application from wood stove
Never used: Synthetic fertilizers, mined minerals, gypsum, peat moss