Butterfly Pea Plant Care
Centrosema molle Mart. ex Benth.
Updated · Sources · How we source care data
Centrosema molle, the soft butterfly pea or spurred butterfly pea, is a perennial climbing herb in the legume family Fabaceae. Native to regions from southern Mexico through Central and South America, the species is distributed across countries including Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and much of the Caribbean, and has been introduced to parts of Asia and the Pacific such as India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Samoa.
Full sun to partial shade
At a glance
How do you care for Butterfly Pea?
Butterfly Pea grows best in full sun to partial shade.
What Is the Butterfly Pea?
Butterfly Pea (Centrosema molle) belongs to the Fabaceae family within the Centrosema genus. Butterfly Pea is also known as Centro.
Butterfly Pea displays a vining, trailing growth habit, reaching up to tall with a spread of approximately . Butterfly Pea produces showy purple pea-like flowers.
What Light Does the Butterfly Pea Need?
Butterfly Pea thrives in full sun to partial shade.
Light Requirement
Full sun to partial shade
What Soil Mix Works Best for a Butterfly Pea?
Well-draining loamy soil with added organic matter for nutrients. Good drainage is essential for Butterfly Pea to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.
How Do You Repot a Butterfly Pea?
Repot annually in spring. Choose a pot one size larger than the current container, and ensure it has drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.
How Do You Propagate a Butterfly Pea?
Butterfly Pea can be propagated through seeds, stem cuttings. Similar propagation techniques also apply to brazilian centrosema plant care, which shares the same genus.
Is the Butterfly Pea Toxic to Pets and Children?
Pet safety not verified
The ASPCA does not list Butterfly Pea, so we can't confirm whether it is safe for cats and dogs. Keep pets from chewing it as a precaution.
This is a general caution, not veterinary or medical advice. If your pet ate a plant, contact your vet or animal poison control.
See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.
What Pests and Diseases Affect the Butterfly Pea?
Butterfly Pea is susceptible to aphids, whiteflies, spider mites. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.
Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.
Keep exploring plants
Butterfly Pea is one of many species covered in the complete plant care and identification guide, which groups plants by genus, attribute, and popularity.
It belongs to the Centrosema genus — compare its care with other Centrosema species on PlantoScan.
Centrosema is part of the Fabaceae plant family — browse all Fabaceae genera and species.
Butterfly Pea thrives in bright light and direct sun — see other bright-light plants.
Related Plant Care Guides
Closely related plants with similar care requirements:
Sources
- Scientific name & taxonomy: Centrosema molle Mart. ex Benth., family Fabaceae (first published in Comm. Legum. Gen. : 55 (1837)) — World Flora Online record, IPNI name record.
- Pet toxicity: Pet safety not verified: the ASPCA does not list Butterfly Pea, so we can't confirm whether it is safe for cats and dogs. Checked against the ASPCA plant list; any other toxicity note on this page comes from PlantoScan's plant database.
- Care values(watering, light, temperature, humidity, soil, fertilizing): PlantoScan's plant database, filtered by automatic plausibility checks — values that fail them are hidden. How we source and check plant data.
Spotted a mistake? Email info@upvision.media with the page link — we check and correct reported errors.
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