Perennial Sweet Pea

Perennial Sweet Pea

Lathyrus latifolius

This is the perennial sweet pea—the one that comes back year after year. It grows into a vigorous climbing vine covered in clusters of pretty orchid-like flowers through summer. Unlike our annual sweet peas, this species has almost no fragrance, but I love it as a long-lived flowering vine for fences and trellises. The flowers have a short vase life of up to three days, but they’re beautiful in the landscape and useful for events.

Washington growers: We recommend growing perennial sweet peas in pots to help prevent them from spreading. Keep the pot in a sunny spot and give the vine sturdy support.

Shipping restriction: This product cannot be shipped to Oregon.

IMPORTANT GERMINATION NOTE

During our germination testing, we found a higher-than-usual number of seeds with hard seed coats in this year’s crop. For the best results, we strongly recommend scarifying these seeds before sowing. Use nail clippers to remove the tiniest sliver of the seed coat, or rub one small spot with coarse sandpaper, taking care not to damage the inside of the seed.

Details:

Plant type: perennial

Height: 6–8 feet

Site: full sun to partial sun

Plant spacing: 12–18 inches

Kids, pets, and deer: toxic

Indoor & pots: In Washington, grow in a pot outdoors with sturdy support to help prevent spread.

Approx. seeds per packet: 10