Stop 2: Scarlet Pea (Indigofera miniata)

Scarlet Pea (Indigofera miniata)

Quick Facts

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Common Name: Scarlet Pea 

Scientific Name: Indigofera miniata 

Family Name: Fabaceae 

Duration: Perennial 

Size: Stems prostrate, up to about 2 feet long 

Leaf Arrangement: Alternate 

Blooming Months: Spring, Summer, Fall 

Distribution: AL, AR, FL, GA, KS, LA, OK, TX 

General Description 

The scarlet pea, Indigofera miniata, is a member of the legume family and boasts beautiful salmon-rose or light red colored petals, which may bloom throughout the year. It grows in a sprawling fashion, typically creating large mats of vegetated area. A growth pattern of this kind makes the plant well suited for areas in need of erosion stabilization and provides cover in sandy soils that sustain high risk of erosion. This herbaceous plant has a well-established root system and is therefore capable of withstanding periods of drought. 

Park Wildlife Ecology/Connections 

Indigofera miniata is a host plant for many species of Texas butterfly larvae, those of which include the Gray hairstreak, Reakirt’s blue, and Southern dogface butterflies. The scarlet pea plant is also a favorite resource for deer and grazing animals. 

North American Ethnobotany 

Limited information about the historical and cultural uses of the scarlet pea has been recorded in common text sources. This does not mean that Native American people did not use it, only that information regarding its use is not as circulated.