Penny Rile

Very nice cream colored cowpea. I've read that it has compact growth, but whenever it gets something to climb, this one climbs pretty well! I received this seed in the early 90s from Frank Martin, who was retiring from the Border Patrol in TX. He was originally from KY and this was his family heirloom, named after an aunt or great aunt. His parents grew a large patch of these every year during the Depression, pulled the plants with dry seed and stashed them in the barn, returning to shell them in the winter. He said that for some years his family SURVIVED on these peas. We've grown this pea in Central Mexico, NJ and OK. It does well, even on white alkali soil. Very prolific. A small planting can produce quite a bit of dry seed, which is how we generally use it. Tender pods are also quite suitable for snaps.