Photo: JackyM59, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Climber · Fabaceae

Everlasting pea

Lathyrus latifolius

In other languages: Brede lathyrus (Nederlands) · Pois vivace (Français)

The everlasting pea is a perennial climber from southern and central Europe that has long been grown in gardens and has naturalised in many places on rough verges and banks. Every spring, new winged stems grow from its deep, fleshy roots and climb with tendrils to 2 m. From June to September it bears clusters of large pea flowers in magenta-pink, pure white or pale pink. Unlike the annual sweet pea it has no scent, but it is much tougher, drought tolerant and comes back every year. Well-known forms are the white ‘White Pearl’ and the pink ‘Rosa Perle’.

Caution: Toxic: the seeds and pods are poisonous if eaten and look like garden peas. Young children are most at risk, as are dogs, cats, horses and other grazing animals. Never eat them and do not let children play with them. It also self-seeds and its deep roots make it hard to get rid of: it can naturalise on verges and rough ground.

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Full sun
warm and bright
Moisture
Dry to normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Sand, loam or clay
any pH
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -25 °C
Size
2 m
tall, 1 m wide
Flowering
June–September

Key facts
Pruning months	March and November
Height	2 m
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees
Poisonous to people and pets	Yes, take care with children and pets
Flowering	June–September

Identify

Everlasting pea: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Herbaceous climber with winged stems up to 2 m, dying back to the ground in winter; about 1 m wide.
Leaves: Each leaf consists of a single pair of elongated, blue-green leaflets and a branched tendril.
Flowers: Pea flowers of 2–3 cm in clusters on long stalks, magenta-pink, white or pale pink; unscented.
Fruit: Flat pods of 5–10 cm holding a few seeds, which split open when ripe.
Roots: A deep, fleshy taproot: this makes it drought tolerant but hard to move.

Flowering: June–September · Sowing: March–May · Plants: April–May and September–October · Pruning: March and November

In your garden

Why grow it?

Long flowering from June to September, without having to sow again every year.
Drought tolerant thanks to its deep roots: ideal for a sunny, dry spot or a bank.
A good cut flower: pick regularly and it keeps flowering for longer.
Bumblebees and other bees like to visit the flowers.
It quickly climbs a fence, an obelisk or through a shrub, and also covers a dry slope.

Everlasting pea: where does it grow best?

Full sun; in shade it flowers poorly.
Any well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
Dry to moist: once established it copes well with drought.
Give it support: mesh, a fence, an obelisk or a shrub to scramble through. Allow 50–60 cm between plants.

Light: Sun
Soil type: Sand, loam or clay
Acidity: Not fussy
Moisture: Dry or normal
Size: 2 m tall, 1 m wide
Hardiness: Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

Shrub rose: The pea scrambles through the rose and keeps flowering after the roses’ first flush is over.
Lavender: A drought-tolerant partner for the same sunny spot.
Globe thistle: Steel-blue globes beside the pink flower clusters in a dry spot.
Catmint: Low blue flowers at the base that hide the bare lower stems.

Maintenance

Everlasting pea: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September–October.

Sow indoors in March–April or outdoors in April–May. Soak the hard seeds overnight in lukewarm water or rub them lightly with sandpaper.
Sow 1–2 cm deep in deep pots, as the roots head straight down.
Plant out in April–May or in September–October, straight into a permanent spot.
Dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball and set the plant at the same depth, 50–60 cm apart.
Put up a support or mesh straight away so the tendrils have something to grip.
Water well and keep the soil lightly moist during the first season.

Care

Watering: Regularly in dry spells during the first year; after that only in prolonged drought.
Feeding: Hardly needed. A little compost in spring is enough; too much nitrogen gives lots of leaves and few flowers.
Support: In spring, guide the young stems towards the mesh; after that they climb by themselves with their tendrils.
Spent flowers: Remove faded flowers and young pods: it flowers for longer and self-seeds less.
Cut flowers: Cut stems in the morning when the lowest flowers have just opened and put them in water straight away.

Tip: Plant it straight into its permanent spot, because the deep roots resent being moved. Remove faded flowers and young pods regularly: it flowers for longer, self-seeds less and no poisonous seeds are left on the plant.

Everlasting pea: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and November.

When: Cut the dead stems down to just above the ground in November or in March. In summer, remove faded flowers.

How:

In summer, regularly remove faded flowers and pods.
After the first frosts or in March, cut all dead stems down to 5–10 cm above the ground.
If you leave the stems over winter, they protect the base; clear them in March, before the new shoots appear.

Caution: Wear gloves when clearing up pods and seeds and do not leave them where children or animals can reach them.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed: Collect ripe, brown pods before they split. Soak the seeds overnight before sowing and sow in March–April indoors or in April–May outdoors. Colours do not always come true.
Division: Possible in early spring, but difficult because of the deep roots. Cut off a piece with enough root and buds and replant it straight away.

Everlasting pea: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

Hardy to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
In autumn it dies back to the ground; in spring new shoots grow from the roots.
Mark the spot so you do not damage the roots when working in the border in early spring.

Diseases and pests

Slugs: They eat the young shoots in spring. Check in the evening and protect young plants.
Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in late summer, especially in dry weather. Water at the base and cut out affected stems; the plant comes back as normal next year.
Aphids: On the shoot tips and flower buds in early summer. Hose them off; ladybirds help too.
Bare base: In summer the plant goes bare and yellow at the bottom. Put lower plants in front to hide the base.
Self-seeding: Seedlings where you do not want them. Remove pods in time and weed out seedlings young, before the taproot goes deep.

Through the year

March: Clear dead stems. Sow indoors.
April: Sow indoors and outdoors. Plant. Put up supports.
May: Sow outdoors. Plant. Guide young stems. Watch for slugs.
June: Flowering begins. Cut flowers.
July: Full flower. Remove faded flowers and pods.
August: Flowering. Water in prolonged drought.
September: Last flowers. Plant. Collect seed.
October: Plant.
November: Cut down dead stems.

Use

Edible and useful

Not edible. The pods and seeds of everlasting pea look like garden peas but are poisonous: eaten in quantity or over a long time they damage the nervous system. Do not eat any of it, not even as mangetout, and teach children the difference from the peas in the vegetable garden. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees: Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

You and this species

Did you know?

The English name everlasting pea refers to the fact that, unlike the annual sweet pea, it comes back every year.
Like other members of the pea family, it lives together with bacteria in nodules on its roots, which fix nitrogen from the air.
In dry, warm weather the ripe pods split open, twisting into a spiral as they do so, and fling out the seeds.

Garden plants · All species