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Everlasting Pea

Lathyrus (lah-THY-russ)

Family: Fabaceae Native Vine (vertical)

Lathyrus is a genus of annual or perennial, herbaceous vines with winged stems and showy flowers in the pea family. It is often used for animal fodder. Plant in the full sun in rich well-drained soil. This plant easily climbs trellises and walls with its tendrils. It works well in a cottage garden or sprawling down a slope to help stop erosion. The word lathyros is Greek for pea or pulse. Some species are native to the SE USA; others found here are naturalized exotics. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. Apihds, mites, and pea moths are occasional pests. Slugs and snails can eat new plants. Black root rot, leaf spot, powdery mildew, and rust diseases occasionally occur.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 55 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 6 - Vine (vertical)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

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.

Fills a similar niche Clematis armandi Clematis x jackmanii Passiflora incarnata

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual; Edible; Native Plant; Perennial; Poisonous; Vine
Life cycle
Annual; Perennial
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 9 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Spreading
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Alternate, pinnately divided, each with 2 or more leaflets of varying shapes and a terminal tendril.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Pink; White
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Pea-like flowers in a variety of colors and sizes in elongated clusters. The buds are a yellowish white. The bloom lasts throughout the summer.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Green
Fruit type
Legume
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit detail
A flattened pod; both young pods and seeds (peas) are edible after cooking
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Some species have winged stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Temp. & Subtropical to Tropical Mountains
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Legume
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Naturalized Area; Slope/Bank; Vertical Spaces; Woodland
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Native Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#poisonous #NC native #vertical spaces #showy flowers #border planting #showy fruits #naturalizes #drought tolerant #native vine #tendrils #cottage garden #garden walls #fence #trellis
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Poisonous to Humans; Weedy
Resistant to
Drought; Erosion
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Fruits; Seeds
Poison symptoms
TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN. "Lathyrism": paralysis, slow and weak pulse, shallow breathing, and convulsions.
Toxic principle
Amine, phenol, and glycoside
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Fruits; Seeds

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.