Black-eyed peas or black-eyed beans (actually a bean not a pea) are a subspecies of the cowpea and were first grown and relished in Asia and Africa but became popular in southern states of the USA. These heat loving plants prefer a well drained sandy loamy soil, and are not tolerant of cold weather so best raised under glass and planted out in Mid june to avoid frosts. A bush plant grown like dwarf french beans and harvested when dried on the plant by the sun perhaps best grown in a polytunnel in the UK.
