Lathyrus odoratus 'America'

The sweet pea, Lathryatus odoratus, is a hardy annual climber with winged stems, mid-green foliage and fragrant flowers. Many cultivars have been developed, including 'old fashioned' sweet peas and popular Spencer cultivars. Sweet peas can be trained to grow up canes for high-quality blooms, or allowed to scramble freely up a trellis or obelisk. They make excellent cut flowers. Plants need a cool moist root run, and regular watering in dry weather.

Lathryatus odoratus ‘America’ is an antique heirloom variety, with red- and It will quickly cover trellis and obelisks, adding colour and a powerful fragrance to summer flower borders. Antique heirloom sweet pea varieties were mostly bred at the turn of the 20th century by Henry Eckford at Wem in Shropshire. The flowers are delicate in size, and have an incredibly strong fragrance.

For best results, feed Lathryatus odoratus ‘America’ with a high potash fertiliser once a fortnight, and cut blooms regularly to prolong flowering.