Perennial Sweet Pea Lathyrus latifolius
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- LATH-ih-rus lat-ee-FOH-lee-us
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
Perennial Sweet Pea or Everlasting Pea is an old fashioned herbaceous perennial climbing vine with beautiful bright flowers that grows up 10' tall. This plant blooms in summer, and blooms are on long peduncles above the foliage. It climbs by tendrils and can be trellised or used to cover a fence or other structure. It makes a nicely mounded ground cover and will cover a bank. The stems have leafy wings which contribute to its ornamental appeal. Key identifiers include the winged stems and the ternately compound leaves with the 3rd leaf being a 3-branched tendril. This plant requires full sun and well-drained soil. Seeds are propagated by pre-soaking the seed in water for several days, then planting less than half an inch deep in the early spring.This plant dislikes being transplanted and has no serious pest problems.
Quick ID Hints:
- 3-part leaf with 3rd part being a 3-branched tendril
- Herbaceous vine with winged, green stems
- Pea-like flower clusters on long stems above foliage
- Fruit is bean-like pod with green 'peas' inside
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Albus'
- 'Blushing Bride'
- 'Pink Beauty'
- 'Pink Pearl'
- 'Snow Queen'
- 'Splendens'
- 'Albus'
- 'Albus', 'Blushing Bride', 'Pink Beauty', 'Pink Pearl', 'Snow Queen', 'Splendens'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Albus'
- 'Blushing Bride'
- 'Pink Beauty'
- 'Pink Pearl'
- 'Snow Queen'
- 'Splendens'
- 'Albus'
- 'Albus', 'Blushing Bride', 'Pink Beauty', 'Pink Pearl', 'Snow Queen', 'Splendens'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Lathyrus
- Species:
- latifolius
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern Central & Southern Europe and NW. Africa
- Climbing Method:
- Tendrils
- Twining
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Poisonous
- Vine
- Wildflower
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Climbing
- Mounding
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Texture:
- Medium
- Appendage:
- Tendrils
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Green
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Description:
- Fruits are a flattened, narrow legume with fleshy, round, green seeds. Young fruits and seeds (peas) are edible once cooked.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Gold/Yellow
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 7 - 20 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Flowers have 5-15 petals. They are pea-like in elongated clusters and corolla is up to 1" in size. They can be magenta-purple, rose-pink, white, yellow, or blue in color. Inflorescence is a raceme, axillary. Peduncle length exceeds the length of leaves. They bloom in midsummer to fall.
-
-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblong
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are ternately compound with the 3rd leaflet being a 3-branched tendril. They are alternate, pinnately divided, and each has 2 or more leaflets and a terminal tendril. Leaflets are oblong to elliptic, acute, mucronate, cuneate, entire, 3-5 veined, blue-green, and up to 4" long. Stipules are persistent and leaflike.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Stems are green, alate, and are either pubescent or glabrous. They have leafy wings.
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Recreational Play Area
- Slope/Bank
- Vertical Spaces
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
- Weedy
-
-
Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN. "Lathyrism": paralysis, slow and weak pulse, shallow breathing, and convulsions, tremors, seizures and possibly death
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Amine, phenol, and glycoside, Aminoproprionitrite
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Seeds
