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Pacific Pea

Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus

vine View on Calscape

Care

Sun

full sun, part shade

Water

very low

Soil

Fast, Medium, Slow; Tolerates sandy or clay loam.

Size

4–4ft tall

Bloom

Jan-Dec

Foliage

Evergreen

Container

Friendly

Flowers

Prized

Edible

Seeds cooked and eaten; traditional Indigenous food source

Native Range

Coastal scrub and grasslands from Santa Barbara County north to Humboldt County, below 2000 ft elevation.

Care Guide

Planting

Plant Pacific Pea in full sun with fast to slow-draining soil - it tolerates sandy or clay loam, so you have flexibility here. This native vine climbs through other plants naturally, so give it a structure or companion planting to scramble through. The Bay Area's mild winters mean you can plant in fall or early spring; the plant flowers winter through spring, so fall planting gives you blooms sooner.

After Planting

Water very sparingly once established - this is a drought-tolerant native that prefers dry conditions, so err on the side of underwatering rather than overwatering. The #1 mistake is treating it like a typical garden plant and watering it regularly; in the Bay Area, summer water is usually unnecessary. Year one, water occasionally during establishment, then back off substantially. The plant is evergreen, so you'll have foliage year-round to enjoy between its purple or white flower clusters.

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