sweet pea

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sweet pea

plant

Also known as: Lathyrus odoratus

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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sweet pea, (Lathyrus odoratus), annual plant of the pea family (Fabaceae), widely cultivated for its beautiful, fragrant flowers. Hundreds of varieties of sweet pea have been developed and are grown as garden ornamentals or are grown commercially for the floral industry. The plant is sometimes confused with the closely related everlasting pea (Lathyrus latifolius), a perennial species.

The vinelike stem is 1.2–1.8 metres (4–6 feet) long and bears alternate compound leaves with two oval leaflets and a terminal tendril. The flowers, commonly white, pink, red, violet, or purple and up to 5 cm (2 inches) across, are borne singly or in clusters of two to four. The fruit is a hairy pod about 5 cm long; the seeds are not considered edible.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.