Also known as the sweet pea flower, Lathyrus odoratus is an annual flowering plant cultivated for its attractive and fragrant flowers. You can sometimes see them nicely arranged in bouquets or adding a nice splash of color to home gardens.
Lathyrus odoratus is a striking ornamental plant native to Sicily and southwest Italy. The fragrant plant belongs to the genus Lathyrus in the Fabaceae family (legume).
The genus Lathyrus has more than 160 recognized species[1] that are common in many parts of the world. The sweet pea flower is a climbing or bushy annual plant with highly scented flowers on winged stems bounded in pairs by medium to dark green leaves.
The stems end in tendrils that allow the plants to climb. Like a vine, it rises to 6-8 feet in one season. Without support, it grows up to 2.5 feet tall in a bushy mound. The flowers bloom well from late spring to early summer before succumbing to the high temperatures.
Plant species have purple flowers, but many varieties now offer a variety of additional flower colors, including white, lavender, blue, red, pink, and bicolor.
