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Annual Biennial

Pisum sativum

garden pea

This is the wild pea plant from which all cultivated peas have been bred. It is a green-leaved annual, which climbs using tendrils. It has white, pink or mauve flowers which develop into pods containing 5-10 edible peas. There are many varieties, including mangetout and sugar-snap peas. They can wary in size with tall cultivars reaching up to 1.8m and dwarf only 45cm

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Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Fabaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Climbing
Genus: A very small genus of annual, flowering plants from legume family. Native to SW Asia and NE Africa, species P. sativum is widely cultivated for food. Hollow. Climbing or trailing stems bear compound leaves and tendrils. Flowers are butterfly-shaped, 1-3 per stalk. The fruit is a pod
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Sow seed quite densely, in full sun in well-drained but moisture-retentive soil. Provide support such as twiggy hazel sticks or netting, for them to climb up. Pick pods regularly to ensure a continuous crop. For more advice, see pea cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Edible fruit

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to pea moth, aphids, pea and bean weevil, pea thrips, pigeons, slugs and snails. Mice may eat newly-sown seeds

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews, and downy mildews, foot and root rot, Fusarium wilt, grey moulds, pea leaf and pod spot, and virus diseases

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