Lathyrus latifolius (Everlasting/Wild Sweet Peas) on 7-26-22, #901-26.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I received a notification from WordPress saying I posted 3 days in a row… Hmmm… I couldn’t break very well stop now when I am on a roll!

I couldn’t think of anything to write about, so I thought I would just add a photo of something that has caught my attention for the past week. The Wild Sweet Peas are blooming up a storm that are growing in the ditch have been in flower for a while. Tony Tomeo wrote about them in his Six on Saturday post which got me to thinking about them even more…

I haven’t taken any new photos of them since 2022, but I guess I should. Besides growing in the ditch, they also grow in and around a brush pile (that keeps getting bigger) in an area east of the garden. I am pretty sure they are Lathyrus latifolius. Common names include Broad-Leaved Sweet Pea, Everlasting Pea, Wild Sweet Pea, Perennial Pea, Perennial Peavine, Everlasting Vetchling, Sweet Pea, and probably others.

There are 30 species of Lathyrus that are native to North America but Lathyrus latifolius is native to parts of Europe and Northern Africa. This species made its way to American gardeners in the 1700’s and escaped. Now, they are a common wildflower throughout the country and is even declared an invasive species in some areas.

I remember as a kid there were several growing on the fence between our house and the neighbors. Likely, my grandmother planted sweet peas here which could be the ancestors of what is here today.

Even though there are many cultivars of Sweet Peas available in seed catalogs and online I rarely hear much about them. I have plenty of fences for them to grow on, so I think next year I will give a few a shot… Sounds like a good plan. How about you?

Maybe I’ll find something to photograph for Wordless Wednesday. Heck, it is 11:10 PM. It’s almost Wednesday already… Could it become 5 days in a row?

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, always be thankful, and GET DIRTY!