Scientific Name:
Lathyrus latifolius
Pronunciation:
LATH-ih-rus latt-ih-FOE-lee-uss
Common Name:
perennial pea, everlasting pea
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial, Vine - deciduous, Vine or climber, Weed (horticultural)
Key ID Features:
Stems winged, hairless, and end in tendrils; leaves pinnately compound with a winged petiole, a single pair of leaflets to 5cm long, and branched tendrils between the leaflets; florets non-fragrant, white, pink, or purple, 2.5cm wide, 6-11 per raceme; legumes flattened, toxic.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Climbing
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
1.5 - 2.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Landscape Uses:
Erosion control, Summer interest (Caution: poisonous parts)
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Shapes:
Elliptic, Ovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Cuneate, Rounded
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Bilabiate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Purple, Pink
Flower Scent:
Fragrant
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Fruit Type:
Legume
Fruit Colour:
Red, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes, Root nodules (N-fixing), Tendrils
Propagation:
Seed
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
