Caley pea
Lathyrus hirsutus · Fabaceae
Caley pea (Lathyrus hirsutus) is a annual vine in the Fabaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 8 and warmer, down to about 17°F.
At a glance
| Type | vine Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | annual USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 3 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | high USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 5.8–6.2 USDA |
| Bloom | March–May USDA |
| Flower color | Blue USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 8 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | climber Derived |
| Nursery availability | No Known Source USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having needs consistently moist ground. Its drought tolerance is rated none — it needs reliable moisture. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5.8 to 6.2 — acidic ground. Its cold limit is zone 8.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 3 ft, making it roughly waist to chest height. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through May. Flowers are blue.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is yellow-green, fine in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is fall, winter and spring.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 35 to 60 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 120 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Seed is the only propagation method USDA lists. Division and cuttings are not listed as options. Seed needs cold stratification — a period of moist chilling — before it will germinate, so sow in autumn or chill it artificially before a spring sowing. Its seed spreads at a moderate rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it highly palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated none. Its growth form is recorded as multiple stem.
Role in a guild
Climber. In a layered planting this is it uses other plants or structures for vertical support rather than standing on its own. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Lathyrus
- beach pea Lathyrus japonicus
- perennial pea Lathyrus latifolius
- silky beach pea Lathyrus littoralis
- leafy pea Lathyrus polyphyllus
Similar role and hardiness
- bayhops Ipomoea pes-caprae
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol LAHI2, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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