sweet pea

The sweet pea, Lathyrus odoratus, is a flowering plant in the genus Lathyrus in the family Fabaceae (legumes), native to Sicily, southern Italy and the Aegean Islands.

It is an annual climbing plant, growing to a height of 1–2 metres (3 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in) when suitable support is available. The leaves are pinnate with two leaflets and a terminal tendril, which twines around supporting structures and helps the sweet pea to climb. In the wild plant the flowers are purple, 2–3.5 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄2 in) broad; they are larger and highly variable in color in cultivars. The blooms are usually strongly scented.