Sweet Pea
FamilyFabaceae
ColorPink, Purple, White, Red
Bloom SeasonSpring-Summer
MeaningBlissful pleasure, goodbye
Native ToSicily, Italy
About the Sweet Pea
Valued for one of the sweetest fragrances in the garden. A Franciscan monk, Francisco Cupani, sent seeds from Sicily to England in 1699. Victorian breeder Henry Eckford developed the large flowered Grandiflora types, and the ruffled Spencer type appeared at Althorp in 1901. Unlike edible peas, its seeds are toxic and can cause a disease called lathyrism. Regular picking encourages more blooms.
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