We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Gardening

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Are the Different Types of Pea Plant?

By Britt Archer
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 29,973
Share

Gardeners can choose pea plants for the food they produce, or other types of pea plants for their flowers and abundant and attractive scent. Some pea plants in the vegetable garden produce bright blooms before going to fruit. Usually classed as a vegetable, the pea is technically a fruit. Typically used in cooking, peas are known scientifically as Pisum sativum.

The Pisum sativum pea plant is a cool-temperature annual with a growth season of one year and maturation within 60 days of planting. The garden pea is a self-pollinating plant and performs best in a home garden made of sandy, well drained, slightly alkaline soil. Pea plants should be situated in full sun for maximum growth.

There are two notable variations on the common pea: the snow pea and the sugar snap pea. Snow peas are known scientifically as Pisum sativum v. saccharatum. Snow peas differ from the typical pea in that the pea pods have a whitish hue, as opposed to the typical green. Snow peas grow best toward the end of winter and can survive harsh snows, hence the name.

Sugar snap peas are known as Pisum sativum v. macrocarpon. Some pea varieties present as a bush; sugar snap cultivars grow as a pea vine. Sugar snap peas require support in the form of a trellis or other climbing system in order to thrive. Sugar snap peas are more adaptable than other pea plant types because they are able to grow in warmer temperatures than other pea types.

Some edible crops bear the name pea but are not directly related to garden peas. Vigna unguiculata, or the cow pea, is a drought-tolerant food crop that, unlike garden peas, is grown in warm, dry, sub-tropical regions of the world. Like garden peas, the cow pea is a legume and produces seeds in a pod. The seed pods of the cow pea are dissimilar in shape and color to garden peas; cow pea pods are longer and have a paler color.

Pigeon peas, Cajanus cajan, are a legume grown in wet, tropical areas of the world. Used as a food crop, pigeon peas bear little resemblance to their garden pea cousins. This pea type is a perennial that grows into neither the bush or vine type seen in most peas; pigeon peas grow into small trees at maturity.

Not all garden plants called peas are actual peas. The sweet pea plant, Lathyrus odoratus, is an annual flowering vine. Sweet pea vines are typically grown for their flowers, rather than their value as a crop. Like their edible namesakes, sweet pea flowers produce seed pods. Sweet peas, unlike their true pea counterparts, are potentially harmful if ingested.

Share
HomeQuestionsAnswered is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Related Articles

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.homequestionsanswered.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-pea-plant.htm
Copy this link
HomeQuestionsAnswered, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

HomeQuestionsAnswered, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.