A couple of weeks ago I posted an image of the first flower on my Blue Pea Vine and mentioned making tea from it. I have also posted my Roselles, the flowers may also be used for tea. I tried both yesterday. I should preface this review by saying I am not a huge fan of herbal teas and prefer Earl Grey or black tea.
Roselle tea tastes like Hibiscus flower tea, which is no surprise considering it is a Hibiscus. The Blue Pea Vine tea tastes like dirt to me. I asked my husband to try and he agreed. I have seen the tea served that is cobalt blue in color, perhaps more steeping is needed or more flowers, the question becomes does it taste like more dirt?
The Roselles were in my freezer from last year. I froze them and promptly forgot all about them. When I harvest the flowers this year I will try making some jam to serve with champagne, which seems like a good holiday project.
The Blue Pea Vine (Clitoria ternata).
Roselles in their current state. These are about a month out from harvest and are buds. They will flower and form seed heads; the calyx from the seed heads are what is used for tea.
Fall has arrived when the Muhly Grass (Muhlbergia capillaris) starts to flower. The temperatures were in the low 70s this morning. My greyhounds had a long run in the dog yard and I enjoyed a walk around the garden.
Native Senna (Senna ligustrina), another fall flower in bloom. This is a host plant for Sulphur butterflies. If the caterpillars eat the foliage they are green; if they eat the flowers they are yellow. The butterflies are all yellow.
The bag garden is coming along. Currently bagged: bush beans, tomatoes, radishes, criollo peppers, dill, and flowers for cutting – zinnias, sunflowers, nigella and some mixed seeds that will be a surprise. The sticks are to keep rabbits out, the squirrels are only slightly deterred by them. I had a first time experience with a Gopher tortise eating a globe amaranth.
That is my Six for this Saturday. Jon the Propagator hosts this meme at http://www.thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com. Follow the link to visit other gardens.
Happy Gardening!!
The Shrub Queen 
The teas certainly are pretty, but not sure I’d like one that tastes like dirt, lol! I’m glad the bag garden seems to be working out.
It is a rare day that our temps match up. It has been a glorious week here in the 70s, but that will end tonight when a cold front comes through and the temps drop 20º… more seasonal for us.
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Sounds glorious there and I bet the fall color and clear blues skies are fabulous. The blue tea is supposed to be very good for your eyes. If you like Red Zinger tea, you would like the Roselle tea.
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Thank you for showing the roselles again and explaining it to other bloggers. It’s true that the Karkadé (Roselle tea) tastes a little dusty but it’s a little acid and really good. Don’t infuse the flowers, but make a decoction (boil at least 5 minutes and filter: It’s better. (Drink hot, sweetened or not, or with ice cubes!)
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I actually did boil it. I think my neighbor does hers with fresh ginger. That was also frozen from last year…
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So you do exactly the right thing! Have a good Saturday over there 👋
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The tea is fairly common around here. In the Caribbean they make a Christmas rum punch with Roselles..looking for a recipe.
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Love the background story to those teas.
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I prefer roselle cold. That is how I am familiar with it. I tried it as tea only once, and thought that, although hot, it tasted like something that should be chilled; perhaps like hot Cool Aid. Besides, it did not have much of a rich flavor, like hot tea should. I mean, as hot tea, it tasted like hot water with a bit of flavor in it, but as a cold beverage, it tasted like flavored water, like water with mint or lemon in it, . . . or a few goodies. I did not think that the pea vine had much flavor at all. I thought of it a something that little girls could make tealess tea with for their tea parties with their friends, puppies and dolls. My niece did not care what it tasted like. It just looked pretty.
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I will give the Roselle tea an iced try, thanks for the idea. I want to brew some with ginger. I have been making elderberry syrup with ginger cinnamon and honey..it is good. I think your niece had the right idea with blue tea.
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Too fancy! Elderberry needs no help, . . . well, except for sugar. Of course, I never learned how to cook, and can not taste so well.
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Well, the local honey is for allergies and the spices are antibacterial..and tasty.
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Very interesting about the caterpillars turning the colour of their food! I don’t think I’d like the blue tea either.
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Thanks, it is fascinating to watch the caterpillars as they deviour the plant.
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I really enjoyed this post, from the you-are-what-you-eat caterpillars and herbal teas to the defensive bag garden ;). I’ve been wondering about growing blue pea vines, as the photos of the tea look such fun, but hearing you say it tastes like dirt has put me off a bit! Also interested to see your muhly grass in flower as I have four pots of it …. doing not very much.
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Thank you, I think the blue tea is just for fun. Lemon juice makes it purple. Muhly does really well here – growing on sand with no irrigation, seems really strange but it is one of my favorites.
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The clitoria is such a lovely blue but I would never eat or drink anything blue. Just look at what happens to your caterpillars. I knew someone once who was addicted to carrots and she turned orange.
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The tea looks a great deal like Windex. Windex may taste better. Do you like blueberries? I had a friend who turned orange from carrots as well! It was a weird diet that involved a lot of carrot puree.
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I wonder why the first people who made blue tea thought it tasted good. I had a child that came home from college and was orange. She finally confessed about the carrots.
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I have a couple of friends who drink it regularly, novelty I guess. Both add lemon which probably kills the dirt taste. Orange from carrots, I eat a lot of carrots but not that many!
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Always a treat to read your posts and “tour” what’s going on in your gardens.
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Thank you.
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Interesting goings-on at your house! At least the Blue Pea Vine is absolutely rich and lovely.
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