Crop lessons · Legumes
Cajanus cajan
Pigeon pea, also called Congo pea or gandul, is a bushy tropical legume grown for its peas, eaten fresh like shell beans or dried, and widely grown in the West Indies. It is a tall, deep-rooted plant, 3 to 10 feet, that handles dry ground. In Florida it is planted in late spring and harvested in fall; some types are killed by frost.1
| Region | Months on the UF/IFAS calendar |
|---|---|
| North Florida | May transplant with care · June transplant with care |
| Central Florida | March transplant with care · April transplant with care · May transplant with care · June transplant with care · July transplant with care |
| South Florida | May transplant with care · June transplant with care |
Months follow UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, "What to plant by month"; "transplant with care" is their wording for crops that resent root disturbance. Not sure of your region? Find your county.
| How to start | direct seed |
|---|---|
| Spacing in the row (inches) | 12 to 18 (after thinning) |
| Between rows (inches) | 36 to 48 (3 to 4 feet) |
| Days to harvest | plant in May, harvest in October to November |
The archived UF/IFAS fact sheet says to plant in late spring (May) in Florida for a late-fall harvest. Sow in rows 3 to 4 feet apart and thin plants to 12 to 18 inches. Some types are killed by frost, while some selections appear hardier.
An erect annual or short-lived perennial, 3 to 10 feet tall, with a deep root system that makes it adaptable and suited to dry land. Leaves have three slender, pointed leaflets; flowers are yellow or yellow and red. Pods resemble English pea pods, green and pointed with some reddish mottling, and grow in clusters. Besides food, it is used as fodder and green manure. The UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants lists pigeon pea as 'not a problem species' in North, Central and South Florida.
The seeds are eaten both as fresh shelled peas and as dry beans.
not documented
Neither source mentions pigeon pea. FAO says many legumes, 'such as peas and beans', have low nutrient demand (p. 92), but it does not address a woody bush legume of this size.
Your county extension office and its Florida Master Gardeners can fill these in for your garden.
Every fact above is restated in our own words from these documents, written 2026-11-02. Independent of the University of Florida.