A genus of hardy annual and herbaceous perennial climbers from temperate zones and tropical mountains.
Perennial species grown today
- Lathyrus grandiflorus, 5 feet, rosy carmine, summer, southern Europe.
- Lathyrus latifolius, 10 feet, everlasting pea, bright carmine, August; var. albus, white flowers.
- Lathyrus magellanicus, 8 feet, bluish-purple, summer to early autumn, Straits of Magellan.
- Lathyrus pubescens, 5 feet, pale blue, mid to late summer, Chile.
- Lathyrus rotundifolius, 6 feet, pink, summer, Asia Minor.
- Lathyrus splendens, sub-shrub, 1 foot, Carmine Summer, California.
- Lathyrus undulatus, 3 feet, rosy-purple, early summer, Turkey.
- Lathyrus vernus, 1 foot, purple and blue, spring, Europe.
Where to plant and grow
Any good rich soil is suitable. Plant the perennials in the autumn or spring, choosing a sunny position where the plants can climb over a trellis, wall or other support. These plants need a lot of water in the growing season and they should be fed during the summer with liquid manure or a balanced 2 fertilizer. In the autumn cut down the stems and top-dress with manure in the spring. The perennial species are propagated by seeds or by division of the roots in the spring.
Lathyrus (lath-eye-rus)
