Description:

A low, bush type variety that produces high yields of light colored cowpeas; easy to shell, 9" long green pods with creamy white peas are produced throughout the season; a delicious choice for baked beans, drying or canning; good disease resistant package

Edible Qualities

Zipper Cream Cowpea is an annual vegetable plant that is commonly grown for its edible qualities. It produces large green long pods which are harvested from early summer to mid fall. The pods have a pleasant taste and a crisp texture.

The pods are most often used in the following ways:

• Cooking
• Baking
• Drying
• Canning
• Freezing

Planting & Growing

Zipper Cream Cowpea will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 4 inches apart. This fast-growing vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop. Because of its relatively short time to maturity, it lends itself to a series of successive plantings each staggered by a week or two; this will prolong the effective harvest period.

This plant is typically grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Zipper Cream Cowpea is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.