Everlasting Pea

Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea (Lathyrus latifolius) with Meadow Cranesbill. Frome, 7 July 2025.

 

A celebration of one of my favourite plants, Lathyrus latifolius (Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea).

It lives up to its name; the plants live almost forever. They also seed themselves and now after twenty years there are a dozen plants in Laura's garden; mostly the standard species (deep pink verging on magenta) and a few of the attractive pale pink variety "Rosa Perle". 

Lathyrus latifolius is native to southern Europe but has been in British gardens since the sixteenth century.  You'll often see isolated long-lived plants in the wild but there it doesn't seem to spread so easily. 

Growth starts afresh from ground level each year, but Lathyrus perhaps wouldn't suit a very formal garden. It tends to sprawl or scramble. It can climb up to 2.5 meters if it wants but doesn't usually seem all that bothered. 

Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea (Lathyrus latifolius "Rosa Perle"). Frome, 11 July 2025.

Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) on Lathyrus latifolius. Frome, 23 July 2025.

The flowers are designed to be pollinated by bumblebees, who are more than happy to oblige. This involves squeezing into a gap between the big petal at the back (known as the standard) and the protruding ones in front (known as the wings), as demonstrated by the carder bee above. 

Of course butterflies are the wrong shape to do this, but Brimstones (Gonepteryx rhamni) have  discovered that they can reach the nectaries by probing between the wing-petals with their long tongues. No giggling at the back, please. 

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) on Lathyrus latifolius. Frome, 13 July 2025.

In my friend's garden the Brimstones only visit the deep pink plants; they completely ignore "Rosa Perle". 

[Something similar happens with Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber). The Large and Small White butterflies eagerly visit the deep pink plants but seem to ignore the crimson-red ones; bees visit both.]

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) on Lathyrus latifolius. Frome, 30 July 2022.

Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea (Lathyrus latifolius). Frome, 23 July 2025.

First flowers of Lathyrus latifolius. Frome, 13 June 2025.

In 2025 (sunny, blue skies) the first flowers appeared on 13 June: that was very early, like most of the other midsummer plants. 

But in 2024 (cloudy, gloomy and rather chilly) we spent several weeks thinking that the dozen plants in Laura's garden must all have mysteriously died. They simply didn't show up. Elsewhere we noticed some Lathyrus latifolius plants flowering more or less normally, but here there was nothing. Eventually the tender stems showed, and the flowers didn't appear until the start of August! 

I don't know what they were thinking, but maybe this exceptional flexibility about dates is a factor in the long life of the plants. 

Early flowers of Lathyrus latifolius. Frome, 4 August 2024.

Seedpods of Lathyrus latifolius. Frome, 23 July 2025.

The pods turn brown before suddenly splitting into wiggly spirals and flinging out the seeds (on still, hot days you can hear them). The seeds are toxic, unfortunately; no foraging potential here. 

Like other plants Everlasting-pea is an optimist when it comes to seeding; it starts by assuming the weather will be perfect, then scales down to what actually happens. As weather is normally less than perfect (too dry or too wet), a lot of the seeds don't develop fully.

Lathyrus latifolius: pods turning brown and splitting. Frome, 3 August 2025.

Leaves and zigzag stems of Lathyrus latifolius. Frome, 23 July 2025.

Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea (Lathyrus latifolius). Frome, 23 July 2025.

Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea (Lathyrus latifolius "Rosa Perle"). Frome, 16 July 2025.

Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea (Lathyrus latifolius). Swindon, 16 July 2025.

A new plant in my own garden in Swindon. It's diminutive in this first year, but will get more vigorous as the tuber grows, and will soon be giving my lavender bushes something to think about. 

Lathyrus latifolius -- good in flower arrangements, too!