Thanks. My father insists the solid tan ones are "improved." I think he must have purchased them at a local feed store and they had a sign that said Improved. All of them taste like whippoorwills (to me whippoorwills have a distinctive flavor), drought tolerance, seed shape and growth habit. I agree about the different names of cowpeas especially whippoorwills. I have only seen them canned once or twice years ago and have never seen them frozen or sold fresh so I doubt that there is much of a commercial market and standardized names. The Steele's Whippoorwills are from our family for example but I can't find the original source. Maybe they are calico crowders but they look like whippoorwills and have the flavor and size of whippoorwills. We always categorized them as whippoorwills. My mother has looked for years for a pure white crowder similar to those grown by her family in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. I've spent many dollars and hours chasing down the white crowder that she remembers all to no avail. If you know of a source for white crowders (not cream or Tennessee White) I would love to find some that she remembers before she passes on (she is 93). Tom Thanks for the information.

Hi Wantonamara, Yes- I'm still interested. I would like some of your Akasanjaku and also some of your White Half Runners. I have Texas Cream #8 and several varieties of Pinkeye Purplehulls- Texas Pinkeye,Quickpick Pinkeye,and Pinkeye Purplehull BVR. They are all fresh seed from Willhites-got them a couple months back. Let me know which ones you want. I can do 40 seeds or more ,if you want more. Send me an E-mail with your mailing address and I'll send them ASAP ~ Scott ~

Hi all, still fairly new at all this..... Am looking for a small amount of whippoorwhill cow peas or washday or lady peas or pigott family heirloom peas for a small trade. Here's what I've got to trade (only small amounts of each like 6-8 seeds of each) pinkeye purple hull cow peas black turtle beans brown teapary bean fordhook limas kentucky lake pole bean envy soy bean brandywine tomato dora tomato gleckers yellow cherry tomato Thanks all! Am also looking for buckwheat seed.....have a great day! :)

Bamagrit, I did answer some to Jimsters question and I will add some more. Gardenlad had mentioned in this post on the heirloom forum that many people call any small tan speckeled pea a whipporwill. I have been at seed swaps and during my plant sales where I have seeds also for sale have people comment that those are whipporwill peas and I usually tell them they are similar but those are some other pea. So the whipporwill you may plant could be different from the whipporwill I have or someone from another area. Having said all that, Peas are my favorite legume. I love them . Limas or Butterbeans are a close secound. The whipporwill I recieved years ago was a tan small seeded pea and not a crowder type pea. Crowder peas are the same species only a different shape. The peas are crowded into the pods making them blocky and fat vice kidney shape. This is also the difference between cutshort beans and regular beans. The whipporwill pea I have from Brook(Gardenlad) is a small tan with speckels crowder type pea. I believe the majority of people that make association with a whipporwill pea are talking about a small pea with speckels,color and whether speckeled can vary but most are tan. Small white peas are commonly called lady peas or rice peas but that is a different post along with most white or cream colored peas refered to as cream peas because of the light color and clear mild broth. The white whipporwill pea is a small cream colored crowder similar to tenn white crowder but 1/3 the size I believe it originate as an off type in a patch of small tan speckeld crowders called whipporwill. On all the field peas, crowders, cowpeas, yardlong peas and cream peas,all of them are the same pea species "Vigna unguiculata " just a different name based on region or use or shape and within that regional name or purpose there are individual named types such as whipporwill. As a whole I like them all best as a fresh shelly pea.I haven't grow one yet I didn't like. I have eaten some (California black eye) that had no taste and have a mealy texture. There are some that are great dried, just as there are beans great dried, but there are others that I think have an off taste when used dried, like the non crowder whipporwill I have. So my recommendation to you and anyone else is to try some and see how you like them. The standard whipporwill will make a nice rich broth so I am sure you will enjoy them. I would say they are close to the mississippi silver hull in taste and size. I was entriqued by the original post because Mr Steeles family whipporwill is a small "black" crowder with speckels vice tan with speckels and his father referred to a solid tan crowder type as improved whipporwill.This is two types I had not heard of. By the way Bamagrit my mom is from a small community in Winston co. in North Alabama. I am going there this weekend to visit and hope to get some seed from an aunt of mine that she hasstumbled across in the freezer that belonged to a great aunt. Tormato I would be interested in trading you for anything I don't have. From what you mentioned the only one I am not familiar with or have is monkey tail send me an e-mail and lets trade. Rodger And while on the subject if anyone else has a pea they are intersted in trading for send me an e-mail. I am always looking for something new. Rodger