Lathyrus vernus is small but perfectly formed
Lathyrus vernus is just the ticket for a spring garden where space is short
There are some plants that take you by surprise year after year. The little known Lathyrus vernus, the spring pea or spring vetchling, is one of these very plants. In late February you can just about see the new shoots appearing above the surface of the soil and by early March the first flowers will be gracing the borders. It’s quick to appear but holds its flowers until May. Although a spring flowerer, it has the look of summer.
This hardy perennial is in the same family as the common sweet pea. As with other members of the Fabaceae family, plants produce legumes (pea pod-like seed pods). This lathyrus only reaches about 30cm (1ft) in height. The small but mighty pea-like flowers don’t have the perfume of the annual sweet peas, but as the plant is so low to the ground it's unlikely you’d get down far enough to smell them anyway (unless you’re a yoga expert!). In my garden they're sprinkled around the borders. My mature specimens tend to remain in a neat clump that measures at the most about 30cm (1ft) across. This makes them the perfect choice for the front of a border. At Stockton Bury Gardens, in Herefordshire, they thrive under deciduous shrubs, so if space is tight in your garden then they might be just the answer. Some grow in a south-facing spot while others are in east and west aspects – a little dappled shade seems to be the best growing environment, but they can cope with full sun. Although hardy in all parts of the UK, a north aspect doesn’t seem to suit them. I garden on heavy clay where they thrive, but I can confirm that they flower like troopers in most good soils, be they alkaline, acid or neutral.
The spring pea makes the perfect partner for wood anemones (Anemone nemorosa) and
erythroniums. They fill the gap once hellebores and crocus are over and you're waiting for your summer-flowering perennials to leap into life. Stockton Bury Gardens opens for the National Garden Scheme on April 1 and the spring pea never fails to put on a show at this time.
So why is this plant not grown more widely? Well, I have no answer. I can only assume that it flowers too early to be commercially viable.
I haven’t found them that easy to propagate, which may be another reason. Division in spring is the recommended technique.
Growing from seed takes patience. Collect your own seed when it’s ripe. The seed should be removed from the pods when they've gone hard and brown. Seed can be sown in winter or early spring and they need a cold period to break their dormancy. It’s not unusual for seed to take 12 weeks or longer to germinate. For this reason, don’t be tempted to give up on your seeds if you see no sign of life. Be patient!
The straight L. vernus has purple flowers that will stop you in your tracks. If you fancy pale pink and white flowers, then try the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) L. vernus
‘Alboroseus’. Plant them rubbing shoulders together for a truly wonderful spring display.
If you're smitten with this neat and very low-maintenance plant, then treat yourself to the later-flowering L. aureus (golden pea). This equally hardy perennial is slightly taller, has larger leaves and stunning golden flowers in mid-summer.