- Botanical name: Lathyrus odoratus 'America'
- Common name: Sweet pea
- Family: Papilionaceae
- Plant Type: Annual
Red
Green
- Key features:
- Flowers
- Prefers rich soil
The sweet pea, Lathryatus odoratus, is a hardy annual climber with winged stems, mid-green foliage and fragrant flowers. Many cultivars have been developed, including ‘old fashioned’ sweet peas and popular Spencer cultivars. Sweet peas can be trained to grow up canes for high-quality blooms, or allowed to scramble freely up a trellis or obelisk. They make excellent cut flowers. Plants need a cool moist root run, and regular watering in dry weather.
Lathryatus odoratus ‘America’ is an antique heirloom variety, with red- and It will quickly cover trellis and obelisks, adding colour and a powerful fragrance to summer flower borders. Antique heirloom sweet pea varieties were mostly bred at the turn of the 20th century by Henry Eckford at Wem in Shropshire. The flowers are delicate in size, and have an incredibly strong fragrance.
For best results, feed Lathryatus odoratus ‘America’ with a high potash fertiliser once a fortnight, and cut blooms regularly to prolong flowering.
How to grow Lathyrus 'America'
-
Plant size
1.8m height
30cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
-
Position in border
Middle
- Sun exposure: Full sun, dappled shade
- Hardiness: Tender
- Soil type: Well drained / light / sandy / clay / heavy / moist / chalky / alkaline
- Plant care: Needs regular watering in pots
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | ||||||||||||
| Sow |
J
Do not Sow in January |
F
Do not Sow in February |
M
Do Sow in March |
A
Do Sow in April |
M
Do not Sow in May |
J
Do not Sow in June |
J
Do not Sow in July |
A
Do not Sow in August |
S
Do Sow in September |
O
Do Sow in October |
N
Do Sow in November |
D
Do not Sow in December |
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do not Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do Plant in June |
J
Do not Plant in July |
A
Do not Plant in August |
S
Do not Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does not flower in March |
A
Plant does not flower in April |
M
Plant does flower in May |
J
Plant does flower in June |
J
Plant does flower in July |
A
Plant does flower in August |
S
Plant does not flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
| Collect seeds | ||||||||||||
| Collect seeds |
J
Do not Collect seeds in January |
F
Do not Collect seeds in February |
M
Do not Collect seeds in March |
A
Do not Collect seeds in April |
M
Do not Collect seeds in May |
J
Do not Collect seeds in June |
J
Do not Collect seeds in July |
A
Do not Collect seeds in August |
S
Do Collect seeds in September |
O
Do Collect seeds in October |
N
Do not Collect seeds in November |
D
Do not Collect seeds in December |
Lathyrus 'America' and wildlife
Lathyrus 'America' has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Lathyrus 'America' poisonous?
Lathyrus 'America' can be toxic.
Toxic to Cats
Toxic to Dogs
Toxic to Horses
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
Plants that go well with Lathyrus 'America'
