Common name: Sweet Pea • Manipuri: হৱাঈথ্ৰাক Hawaithrak lei
Botanical name: Lathyrus odoratus Family: Fabaceae (pea family)
The heady scent of sweet peas is an old-time favorite. This
annual (grows
just one year) vine is easy to start from seed - in fact, you probably won't
find established seedlings in nurseries. Sweet peas are wonderful when trained
up the supports of a porch or the railings of a deck, where their perfume will
be best appreciated.
The sweet-smelling flowers come in a wide range of colors and are the
main feature of this climbing plant. The vine grows 6 to 9 feet tall,
with dwarf types reaching 8-20 inches. Sweet peas are also suitable
for baskets, tubs and spillover plantings, and make excellent cut
flowers. They will do best if planted in a different place each year. They
produce an abundance of flowers that can be used as cut flowers while leaving
enough on the vine to keep it highly decorative. A lot of cultivars are
selected for the beauty of their flowers.
| Photographed at Vimhans, Delhi. td> |
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