Clitoria ternatea 'Double Lavender'

Edible flower and pod, popular for colouring dishes and tea... Luckily, more and more enthusiasts are getting to know this beautiful climber! After a vigorous growth, the summer brings an abundance of lavender-lilac, 5 cm large flowers. These have an elegant saucer shape, with two saucers on top of each other, a yellow throat, and a lilac protrusion at the top of the throat. The flowers and the pods (after flowering) are edible, but removing them encourages reblooming. Grown in a large pot, the plant can overwinter in a cool place. Give the plant a sunny to slightly shaded spot and enjoy! In Asia, rice is coloured lilac with the dye from the lilac Clitoria! Add a few flowers to a glass of boiled water or another drink for an attractive lavender colour. As a tea, it tastes a bit like black tea and has a mild flavour; let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes. When you mix the flowers with something acidic (e.g., lime or lemon), the colour becomes lighter. For an extra special effect, you can make ice cubes in the 2 colours and add them to a (non-alcoholic) cocktail or vodka. This way, you'll steal the show with a funky lilac cocktail (last text from www.the-art-of-tea-herbs-spices.nl)

Names:
Latin: Clitoria ternatea
Dutch: Vlindererwtje
Also known as: Kittelbloem
English: Butterfly Pea