Samsamping/Butterfly Pea

ByMaria

20131213_090437Samsamping – Butterfly pea (Scientific name – clitoria ternate)

I’m a member of a community garden and as most gardeners I’m curious of what other gardeners have in their plot. This blue flowers caught my attention and I asked for some seeds because I love blue flowers. I asked for the name of the plant but my friend said that a Filipino friend gave it to him and that the beans is supposed to be edible.  I never seen or heard of this plant when I was growing up in the Philippines so I didn’t  have a clue either. I posted the flower in Facebook and asked anybody who knows the name and somebody responded it is called “samsamping” an Ilocano word. I don’t know if there is a Tagalog word for it.

I like this “samsamping” plant.  It is easy to grow.  Right now my plant is full of beautiful blue flowers and some have already formed into beans. I don’t know if I like to eat the beans but I sure love the flowers and the butterflies and bees love them too.  The beans are green and look just like the jicama seeds only thinner.

At least now I know what I will call these amazing blue flowers.

 

Similar Posts

  • Watercress

    ByMaria

    Watercress is in the family of Brassicas like radish and mustard relating to their peppery flavor. It closely resembles the taste of nasturtiums and the name is the same but they are actually distant relatives and they are easy to grow. Watercress is not available in the Philippines when I was growing up so I…

  • Mizuna

    ByMaria

    Mizuna is a Japanese green vegetable that is gaining popularity in the US. It is in the family of Brassicas which includes kale, rapini or broccoli rabe, broccoli and cauliflower. It is used mainly by Japanese in making soup for New Year celebration as sort of good luck. But its being used now in green…

  • Oakleaf Lettuce

    ByMaria

    I have been experimenting on the types of lettuce that will grow well in my garden. So far I’m successful. Like this red oakleaf lettuce I planted a month ago. They are so good, crunchy and sweet. I like the red color in combination with the green leaves of the Manoa lettuce in my salad…

  • Winged Beans

    ByMaria

    I sowed the winged beans seeds together with the long beans and hyacinth beans last February. The long beans is almost finished producing but the winged beans are just starting to flower and I just saw one bean. Because the seed of the winged beans is so hard, you need to scarify it or soak…

  • Cucumber/Poona Kheera

    ByMaria

    Cucumber or pipino as we call it in the Philippines is my favorite salad vegetable. I also make pickle out of it. But I really don’t have luck in growing cucumbers. Last month, a friend of mine gave me some seeds which he said came from Sri Lanka. I immediately planted it and see how…