Lathyrus odoratus Spring Sunshine Cerise - Sweet Pea Seeds

Sweet Pea or Lathyrus odoratus Spring Sunshine™ 'Cerise' comes from a series offering early and heat-resistant varieties, suitable for a Mediterranean climate. Although its cultivation is not recommended further north, as it requires a warmer climate, this variety thrives remarkably in pots, greenhouses, or a conservatory. Its fragrant flowers make excellent cut flowers. The plant has vigorous growth, making it very floriferous. It is also recognised as an excellent option for cut flowers. Annual and climbing, this plant produces large, very vibrant pink flowers on long stems that cling to supports on their own through their tendrils.

Lathyrus odoratus is an annual herbaceous plant of the fabaceae family, native to Southeast Italy and Sicily. The Spring Sunshine Cerise variety stands out for its high-end performance for very early flowering. It can reach 2m in height and 40cm in width in just a few months. Its light green leaves are paired on quadrangular stems, with stipules at the base and extending into tendrils. Flowering takes place between April and June. The butterfly-like flowers are large, clustered in axillary clusters, bright pink, with slightly wavy petals. They consist of 5 petals, with the upper one, also the largest, taking on a banner shape, while the others have an intermediate shape between lip and tube. They emit a delicate fragrance, with a sweet floral aroma with hints of honeyed, musky accents, very feminine. The fruit is a flat pod that twists and expels its seeds to a distance. It is essential to remove faded flowers, as seed production immediately stops flowering. Sweet peas root deeply in the soil to draw water and nutrients.

Sweet pea 'Cerise' thrives in hot and sunny places with well-drained, even rocky soil. Its charming and old-fashioned flowering adds undeniable charm to bouquets and hanging baskets as well as to any available support it quickly colonises. It is also ideal for beds, using neighbouring plants or bushes as support. For a harmonious garden, pair sweet peas with coreopsis, echinaceas, gauras and annuals such as poppies or cosmos. This plant also creates magnificent carpets by combining different colours. It fits perfectly in cottage gardens or as a floral addition in the vegetable patch or a cutting garden, offering an abundant supply of cut flowers.