Lathyrus odoratus Royal Maroon - Sweet Pea Seeds

‘Royal Maroon’ is a new, rare sweet pea variety from the ‘Royal’ series, obtained after years of careful selection. The flowers from this series are more intensely coloured, more fragrant and larger than those of the Spencer varieties. Royal Maroon’s abundant blooms are such a deep brownish-purple that they almost seem black when set against the light. They are large (4 cm) and softly wavy with a good fragrance and don’t fade in the sunlight. The long voluble stems reach 2.20 m in height for 30 cm in width. These silky flowers will look great in bouquets or grown alongside pink, white or blue varieties. This popular variety vigorously covers up its support in no time and is beautiful when used as a ground cover. In hanging baskets, the plants will romantically cascade down in dramatic maroon garlands. Flowering takes places from June to August. Grow in a sunny location in fertile, moist soil.

Lathyrus odoratus is an annual herbaceous plant of the Fabaceae family originating from south-eastern Italy and Sicily. It can reach 1.80 m to 2.50 m in height and 30 cm in width in the space of a few months. Its quadrangular winged stems have stipules at their base, bear pairs of light-green leaflets and end in a terminal tendril. Flowering takes place from May to October depending on the variety. The papilionaceous flowers are grouped in axillary clusters. The flowers are composed of 5 petals: a standard, 2 free wing petals, and 2 fused petals. They give off a delightful fragrance, which has a sweet floral aroma with honeyed and musky notes. The fruit is a flat pod that splits at maturity, forcibly expelling its seeds away from the plant. It is essential to regularly remove wilted flowers, as seed production stunts flowering. Sweet peas root deeply in the ground to find water and nutrients.

Sweet peas are irreplaceable, their charming and old-fashioned flowers make quaint bouquets, look stunning in hanging baskets will soon cover up an old garden wall or fence. They are beautiful in summer flower beds, where they will use neighbouring plants or shrubs as a support. They can also form colourful carpets when grown as ground cover. Sweet peas are a must-have in cottage gardens alongside peonies, hollyhocks, fox gloves, peach leaved bellflowers, and columbines. They also do well in the fertile and well-watered soil of the vegetable garden, where they can be used as cut flowers.