Beach-pea – Lathyrus maritimus
(Fabaceae)
Beach-pea is an herbaceous perennial growing from a stout, underground stem or rhizome to a height of 1-2’. The blue-green foliage is similar to that of the garden sweet pea but tends to run along the ground in a scandent manner. Attractive clusters of bright pink to lavender flowers are borne upright from the leaf axils in mid summer. Pollinated flowers develop long, slim pods by early autumn.
Beach-pea grows in ocean-side sand dunes from NewFoundland south to New Jersey and along the shores of Lake Champlain and the Great Lakes. The species is quite tenacious, flourishing in the dynamic, arid, and saline environment typical along the Atlantic coast. Beach-pea develops a deep, expansive root system that provides stabilization to the ever-shifting sands of the dune ecosystem. The species is considered circumboreal in distribution, found growing in far northern Europe and Asia as well as North America.
Native Plant Spotlight
Eastern Red Cedar
Winterberry
Sweetfern
Northern Catalpa
Fothergilla
Eastern Prickly Pear
Franklinia
Poison Ivy
Twin Leaf
Mayapple
Marsh Marigold
Alternate-leaved Dogwood
Beach Pea
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