Plant encyclopedia›Indian pea

Indian pea

Also known as: blue-flower'd lathyrus; chichling-vetch; chickling pea; chickling vetch; dogtooth pea; grass pea; khesari; Riga pea

L. sativus is a scrambling, annual, nitrogen-fixing climber, up to 1.2m high, with angular, winged stems, mid-green leaves divided into two narrowly elliptic, pointed leaflets, up to 15cm long and up to 1cm wide, and solitary flowers, up to 2.5cm across, usually sky-blue with a pink and white spot on the upper petal, sometimes pink or white, in late spring and early summer; the seeds are safely edible if they are first soaked overnight in lime water and then boiled

Scientific classification

Species: Indian pea (Lathyrus sativus)
Genus: Lathyrus
Family: Fabaceae

Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Toxicity: Annual Biennial
Plant type: 1-1.5 metres
Height: 0.1-0.5 metres
Spread: Deciduous
Foliage: Climbing
Habit: Spring · Summer · Autumn
Season of interest: Full sun
Sunlight: Information to be completed
Ideal temperature

Indian pea pictures

Distribution of Indian pea

Distribution map

Europe

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Culture

Information to be completed

Toxicity

Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling

Quick identification of Indian pea

Information to be completed

Indian pea care guide

Moderate regular watering, allowing brief slight drying between soakings
Watering: Full sun
Sunlight: Information to be completed
Ideal temperature

Watering

Moderate regular watering, allowing brief slight drying between soakings

Fertilizing

Balanced perennial feed every four weeks from spring through summer

Pruning

No pruning required, but deadheading before seeds have formed will prolong the flowering season

Propagation

Propagate by seed, soaked for 24 hours before sowing, and sow directly in spring, 2.5cm deep, or sow in containers under cover in autumn or winter and then plant out in spring

Growing

Grow in full sun in moist but well-drained soil, and provide support or grow next to shrubs over which it can scramble. See sweetpea cultivation for further information.

More growing and care information →