Perennial Sweet Pea or Everlasting Pea is an old fashioned herbaceous perennial climbing vine in the bean family. It produces beautiful bright flowers and grows up 10 feet tall with a 6 foot spread. This plant blooms in summer, and blooms are on long peduncles above the foliage. The stems have leafy wings which contribute to its ornamental appeal. The genus name comes from the Greek lathyros for pea or pulse. The species name means broad-leaved. This plant does well in full sun or some light shade and evenly moist, well-drained, fertile 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. Once established, the plant will tolerate drought conditions. For best results, fertilize throughout the growing season and avoid overhead watering. Plants spread by rhizomes and self-seed. It can become weedy and climb structures, but is easily controlled in a large pot. 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 an embankment. Key identifiers include the winged stems and the ternately compound leaves with the 3rd leaf being a 3-branched tendril. 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 Diseases, Insect Pests and Other Plant Problems: This plant dislikes being transplanted and has no serious pest problems. More information on Lathyrus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Mounding
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
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 to 5 veined, blue-green, and up to 4 inches long. Stipules are persistent and leaflike.
Flower color
Blue; Gold/Yellow; Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers have 5 to 15 petals. They are pea-like in elongated clusters and the corolla is up to 1 inch in size. Blossoms can be magenta-purple, rose-pink, white, yellow, or blue in color. Inflorescence is a raceme, axillary. Peduncle length exceeds the length of leaves. Blooms in midsummer to fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Green
Fruit type
Legume
Fruit value
Edible; Showy
Fruit detail
Fruits are a flattened, narrow legume with fleshy, round, green seeds. Young fruits and seeds (peas) are edible once cooked.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Stems are green, alate, and are either pubescent or glabrous. They have leafy wings.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Southern Europe
Distribution
Throughout the United States, Australia, India, and southern South America.
Attracts
Butterflies
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Legume
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Naturalized Area; Recreational Play Area; Slope/Bank; Vertical Spaces; Woodland
Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses; Weedy
Resistant to
Drought
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Seeds
Poison symptoms
TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN. "Lathyrism": paralysis, slow and weak pulse, shallow breathing, and convulsions, tremors, seizures and possibly death.