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Lathyrus littoralis (Nutt.) Endl.

Dune sweet pea, Silky beach pea, Silky beach vetching, Strand sweet pea

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

USDA Symbol: lali2

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

The long weak stems of this sweet pea do not end in tendrils, so the perennial tends to form clumps up to 2 ft. high. The pinnately compound leaves are densely felted with silvery hairs. The leaflets are short and overlapping. Contrasting with the foliage are purple to red-purple, pea-like flowers with delicate veining. The flowers are followed by pea-like pods. This silky-hairy, gray plant grows in low patches, with pink and white pea flowers in dense racemes among pinnately compound leaves.

This beautifully colored plant forms dense patches among yellow and pink Sand Verbenas and Beach Morning Glories, adding to the spectacular natural garden of coastal dunes. A relative, Beach Pea or Sand Pea (L. japonicus), differs in having smooth stems and leaves, 2-8 flowers, each 3/4-1 1/4 (2-3.1 cm) long, with reddish-purple petals; it grows on sand dunes from northern California to Alaska.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf: Yellow-Green
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Purple
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: CA , OR , WA
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: Pacific coast from Monterey Co., CA to Vancouver I., B.C.
Native Habitat: Sandy areas, particularly dunes
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Well-drained, sandy soils.
Conditions Comments: Not Available

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Propagation

Description: Propagate with treated seeds.
Seed Collection: Not Available
Seed Treatment: Seeds must be scarified and/or stratified.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

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Additional resources

USDA: Find Lathyrus littoralis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Lathyrus littoralis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Lathyrus littoralis

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-01-01
Research By: TWC Staff

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