A bunch of Sweet Pea Sylvestris

Sweet Pea ‘Sylvestris’

Lathyrus sylvestris

Features

  • Cut-and-come-again
  • Foliage & Filler
  • Toxic
  • Vine

Description

This perennial sweet pea has vigorous, scrambling vines smothered in small clusters of dusty-mauve flowers with a smoky-lavender throat. The unique color combination gives flowers an almost metallic quality. While the flowers don’t have much fragrance, and their stems are on the shorter side, they are worth growing for their unusual coloring and ability to double as a foliage.

Please note: Unlike garden peas, sweet pea seeds are poisonous if ingested. Use caution around children and pets.

Details

Plant type: perennial
Height: 6 to 8 ft
Site: full sun
Days to maturity: 75 to 90 days
Plant spacing: 18 to 36 in
Pinch: not necessary

Seed Sowing & Growing Notes

In mild areas, seed can be sown in pots in the fall, overwintered in a sheltered spot, and planted out in spring. Everywhere else, sow seed 10 to 12 weeks before last frost and transplant out right around last frost. Provide a strong trellis or support for vines to climb.

Harvesting/Vase Life

While flowers are beautiful, their stems are so short that they are not typically grown as a cut flower. Instead of harvesting individual blooms, harvest entire vining stems. Expect a vase life of 7 to 10 days.

Details

Description

This perennial sweet pea has vigorous, scrambling vines smothered in small clusters of dusty-mauve flowers with a smoky-lavender throat. The unique color combination gives flowers an almost metallic quality. While the flowers don’t have much fragrance, and their stems are on the shorter side, they are worth growing for their unusual coloring and ability to double as a foliage.

Please note: Unlike garden peas, sweet pea seeds are poisonous if ingested. Use caution around children and pets.

Details

Plant type: perennial
Height: 6 to 8 ft
Site: full sun
Days to maturity: 75 to 90 days
Plant spacing: 18 to 36 in
Pinch: not necessary

Seed Sowing & Growing Notes

In mild areas, seed can be sown in pots in the fall, overwintered in a sheltered spot, and planted out in spring. Everywhere else, sow seed 10 to 12 weeks before last frost and transplant out right around last frost. Provide a strong trellis or support for vines to climb.

Harvesting/Vase Life

While flowers are beautiful, their stems are so short that they are not typically grown as a cut flower. Instead of harvesting individual blooms, harvest entire vining stems. Expect a vase life of 7 to 10 days.

Sources

How to Grow

Fall Mini Course

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In our free, three-part video series, you’ll learn how and when to dig up your dahlia tuber clumps, how to divide dahlias to multiply your stock, and how to successfully store dahlias for an abundance of blooms year after year.