Lathyrus vestitus

Bolander's pea

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Bolander's pea is a California native perennial found in coastal and northern California mountain ranges in chaparral and woodland habitats. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces purple to pink flowers in dense clusters of 8 to 15 blossoms. Growing with slender, sharply angled stems up to 1 meter tall, it features distinctive branched tendrils that coil elegantly. Its compound leaves have 8 to 12 narrow leaflets ranging from 2 to 4.5 centimeters long, with delicate stipules that have wavy margins. The plant's banner petals are uniquely bent or reflexed nearly 90 degrees, creating an unusual and eye-catching flower structure.

California counties: Riverside, San Diego, Sonoma, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Orange, Kern, Santa Barbara, Mendocino, Monterey, San Bernardino, Shasta, Solano, Butte, El Dorado, Santa Cruz, Marin, Napa, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Benito, Humboldt, Del Norte, Lake, Siskiyou, San Francisco, San Mateo, Yolo, Colusa, Trinity

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