Flower profile
Wild cowpea
Vigna luteola
Wild cowpea (Vigna luteola) is a vine in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly August–October across the U.S.
Wild cowpea is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Florida it's most often seen in bloom in April–December.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Florida
Quick look
Vigna luteola, commonly known as the hairy cowpea and the Nile bean, is a perennial vine found in many tropical and subtropical areas.
- It belongs to the Fabaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a vine with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 10 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Florida. NatureServe
- In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 3,706 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #77 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Florida, most flowering sightings come in April–December.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Florida
- Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: GA (S2), SC (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records wild cowpea in 10 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia.
Florida counties with USDA records: Bay, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Volusia.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Lower 48 states: Native; Puerto Rico: Native; U.S. Virgin Islands: Native.
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Vigna nilotica.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 85 counties across 9 states; the most are in Florida (37), Louisiana (19), Texas (14).
More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.
More Florida flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VILU3.
- iNaturalist, Vigna luteola: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Vigna luteola (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
- Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Vigna luteola (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Clay Gibbons via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.