Sweet Pea, Royal Mix
74 in stock
Quick Overview
Sweet Pea, Royal Mix – Lathyrus odoratus
FULL SUN-PARTIAL SHADE Native to the Northern Temperate Zones of the planet, the ornamental sweet pea has been a part of European, American and British gardens since the 1700s. Seeds sent to England in 1699 by a Franciscan monk led to commercial production by 1724. The Royal sweet peas were developed in the US and bred to produce much taller plants with larger blossoms. Royal Mix includes blue, purple, white, pink etc. The plants are 40-48 in. tall. Plants grow easily from seed. Seed can be sown in the fall or spring as soon as the ground can be worked. If planting in spring, keep the soil slightly moist until germination which takes 14-21 days. Always distribute seed where the plants are to grow. Sweet peas do not like to be transplanted. Better germination is achieved when the seeds are planted in the fall. When seedlings are 2 in. high, thin leaving 8 in. between plants.
| Type | Spacing | Planting Depth | Days to Germination | Blossoms |
| Annual | 8 in. | 1/2 in. | 14-21 | 45-60 |
Sweet Pea, Royal Mix
Sweet Peas were first collected by a Franciscan Monk, Father Cupani, near his monastery in Sicily in 1696. The fragrance was so enticing that he collected some seeds and began to grow it in his own garden. In 1699, he sent seeds to his friend, a British schoolmaster, Professor Uvedale, in England. The flower of the original plant had deep blue lower petals (standards) and purple upper petals known as wings. By 1724, sweet peas were being grown commercially in Europe. In 1870, Henry Eckford introduced the Grandifloras a class of magnificent sweet peas with huge blossoms, but the monumental development occurred during the 1890s when Silas Cole, the head gardener at Althorp, the estate of Earl and Countess Spencer, discovered a spontaneous mutation of an Eckford sweet pea which he named Lady Spencer. Lady Spencer was a florist worthy sweet pea with huge, wavy flowers. Cole introduced the plant in 1901 at an international floral exhibition in England. The plant became an instant, international success. By 1910, the sweet pea was the most popular annual flower in cultivation in the world.
