Lathyrus niger

Lathyrus niger, known as the Black Pea, is a curious botanical species, which is protected in its natural habitat.  It is a rare plant in cultivation, which was once found in the wild in many regions, in undergrowth, on sunny slopes or on the edge of forests. This curious perennial pea does not rely on other plants for support through tendrils, but grows in an upright clump and flowers for a long period during the summer. It bears beautiful flowers with changing shades, ranging from a deep red colour to a purple-blue hue before fading to a greenish grey shade. They are followed by the formation of black pods, which often persist in winter on its entirely black and bare silhouette.

Lathyrus niger, also known as the Black Pea, is a cosmopolitan plant of the Fabaceae family, originally widespread throughout Europe, as well as Western Asia and North Africa, but has become rarer nowadays. It is a perennial herbaceous plant forming a clump of leafy stems reaching 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24in) in all directions. It consists of slender, hairy, non-winged angular stems, bearing small compound leaves composed of 2 to 8 ovate leaflets which are a vibrant spring green colour, reminiscent of those of the locust tree. Flowering occurs from June to August, depending on the climate, and lasts about two months. Short clusters bearing 2 to 10 pea flowers appear in the axil of the leaves. The initially purple-red flowers change colour, thus signalling to the bees that pollinate them that nectar is available: bees are more sensitive to the colour red and forage on the reddest flowers, while the blue flowers, once pollinated, no longer contain nectar. This flowering is followed by the formation of smooth, black pods, 3.5 to 6 cm (1 to 2in) long, each containing 6 to 8 seeds. In autumn, the entire plant goes into dormancy and takes on a uniform black colour, which earned it the name Black Pea.

Lathyrus niger is much less known and used in gardens than its relative, Lathyrus latifolius. However, it is just as easy to cultivate, even in limestone and poor soil, and takes up less space in flower beds. It can be accompanied by beautiful wild plants such as rose mallows, baptisias, mallow, astrantias, and chicory. It also looks stunning when paired with light yellow flowering plants such as Euphorbia polychroma or Baptisia bracteata. This perennial pea also thrives in front of a hedge of evergreen or deciduous shrubs, in the company of perennial Geranium macrorrhizum or dead nettles, for example. Pea-loving gardeners will also associate it with orange-flowered Lathyrus aureus, or the extremely rare Lathyrus pubescens, with blue-violet flowers.