Love them or loathe them, southern peas – also known as field peas, cowpeas, iron clay peas, or southern field peas – are a staple of the southern cuisine. Prized for their ability to thrive in hot, humid conditions with little to no fertilizer additions, the southern pea was a natural fit for our climate when introduced to the present-day US around 1700 by way of slave traders.

Growing wild in Africa, the plant Vigna unguiculata ssp. unguiculata is thought to have originated in India and was brought to Africa before recorded history. Commonly referred to as peas in the south, these are more closely related to beans than English peas. Perhaps the resemblance to peas is the reason for the crossover in common names. Regardless, the ease of growing these in the south led to the popularity of planting these instead of the cool weather loving English pea.

Southern peas were first widely planted in America as fodder for livestock and as cover crops for soil improvement. It was once a common practice to plant them between rows of field corn, leading to the name field pea. This was used as feed mix for cattle. The peas added additional protein to the mix. Additionally, the system worked well agronomically, as the peas filled the spaces around corn plants, suppressing weed growth and the corn provided structural support for vining.

Being a legume, southern peas fix nitrogen in root nodules thanks to a special association with a nitrogen-fixing bacteria. With the addition of heat tolerance and the ability to add nitrogen back to the soil, southern peas became an important summer cover crop to follow spring vegetables. Since southern peas require little fertilizer – often there is enough residual fertilizer from spring vegetables – it was an economical way to increase soil productivity. Soon savvy southerners caught on to the tastiness of freshly shelled peas!

Seeds of southern peas store well when shelled dry. Black-eyed peas and pink-eyed peas are the two most grown for dried seeds. If harvested before pods are dry and peas are high in moisture, they are easily cooked or canned for long-term storage.

Southern peas can be classified according to four types of cultivars.

• Field Peas: smaller and have a dark liquid when cooked. This includes the Iron/Clay and many heirloom varieties.
• Crowder Peas: smaller and have irregular shaped sides because of crowding in the pod. This group includes the cultivars Dixie Lee, MS Purple, MS Shipper, MS Silver, and Zipper Cream.
• Cream Peas: lighter in color and produce a light liquid when cooked. This group includes the cultivars Elite, MS Cream, and TX Cream 8.
• Black-eyed Peas: fall between cream peas and field peas in appearance and cooking. This group includes commonly planted cultivars such as MS Pinkeye, Pinkeye Purple Hull, TX Pinkeye, Magnolia, Royal, and Queen Anne.

Southern peas grow in varying soil types, but yields will be higher in soils that drain well. Seeds of bush peas should be sown 4-6 oz per 100-ft row and rows spaced 36-42 inches apart. Vining types should be seeded 1 to 2 seed per foot of row. Planting depth should be ¾ to 1 ½ inches deep.

Shallow cultivation between rows when plants are small helps control weeds. Avoid cultivation after plants begin to bloom. Insect control is generally not needed, and care should be taken if spraying to avoid damage to pollinating insect species.

Planting to harvest of fresh peas is around 65 days, with approximately 125 days from planting to harvest of dried peas. Immature pods can also be harvested as a substitute for snap beans. Peas should moved to a cool place quickly after harvesting and shelled and processed soon to preserve quality.

Nothing speaks more of a southern summer than picking and shelling peas. Then again, nothing quite tastes as good a pot of freshly shelled peas with a piece of hot cornbread. Southern peas are a tasty and great way to extend our summer harvest while improving the soil for our next round of vegetables.