Lathyrus latifolius

Perennial sweet pea, Perennial Sweet Pea

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Perennial sweet pea is a naturalized perennial found in California's Foothill and Peninsular Ranges in disturbed areas, especially roadsides, at elevations generally below 2,000 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces pink to pink-purple or red flowers 20 to 25 millimeters long in clusters of 4 to 15 blooms. Growing with robust, glabrous stems featuring distinctive wings often 2 millimeters or wider, it develops a climbing habit with branched, coiled tendrils. Its leaves have two lanceolate to ovate leaflets 5 to 14 centimeters long, supported by small to large stipules. The plant produces glabrous, elongated fruits that complete its distinctive growth cycle.

Habitat: Disturbed areas, especially roadsides

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: generally < 2000 m

Bioregions: CA-FP

California counties: Inyo, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Los Angeles, Humboldt, Santa Barbara, Kern, Orange, Butte, Nevada, Santa Cruz, Amador, Calaveras, Placer, Mendocino, San Mateo, Tulare, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Plumas, El Dorado, Sonoma, Alpine, Sierra, Marin, Alameda, Sacramento, Contra Costa, Siskiyou, Tehama, Yuba, Shasta, Mariposa, Napa, Tuolumne, Yolo, Trinity, Santa Clara, Monterey

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.