How Tall Do Cowpeas Grow?
Cowpeas, which are also known as black-eyed peas, are a favorite food in southern cooking. This legume varies greatly in height, depending on whether the plant is a bush type or vining type. Does this Spark an idea?
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Bush-type Heights
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Determinate cowpea bushes will tend to be shorter, at around 24 inches tall. More indeterminate bush types will reach 30 to 36 inches overall.
Vining-type Heights
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Vining types of cowpeas will need good support as they can grow from 6 to 12 feet in height and produce bean pods that can be as much as 3 feet long.
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Significance
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Because of their short height, cowpea bushes produce easily picked crops. They have been called "the poor man's meat," due to their high protein content. The vining varieties also provide good animal forage.
Benefits
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If the vining variety is left on the ground to spread, it makes a good erosion-control plant, due to the area it will cover. Both cowpea varieties release nitrogen into the soil, helping to replace nutrients as they grow.
Fun Fact
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Cowpeas are grown on about 20 million acres worldwide.
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