Can you only eat certain types of sweet pea?

[Victoria26]

Hi everyone,

Forgive my ignorance but I was wondering if I could pick all your brains with regard to sweet peas.

I recently did a seed swap and have a few varieties on their way to me however can you only eat certain kinds? If so which kinds are edible.

(I am growing them primarily to attract bees and butterflies)

Thanks again, Victoria x

[Snadger]

I thought ALL sweet peas were poisonous to eat? I would love to be corrected though!

[Victoria26]

EEk! My German Sheperd Clyde is usually responsible for eating most of my petit pois every year! - He has great taste! LOL

I really fancy planting the sweet peas between my beans and peas this year to attract insects. Might have to cordon it off if it'll poison poochy!!

[bluemoon]

OK, sweet peas are the pretty, highly scented flowers and have poisonous seeds. Petit pois are a form of normal pea, (admittedly with a sweet flavour) Same family, but two totally different things. So the answer is; all sweet peas are poisonous, all petit pois are edible. Look at the sweet pea seed cases, they should look more like laburnum pods (another relative) and you can begin to understand where their toxicity comes from. The flowers are large, produce several to a stem and are usually coloured. Petit pois look like small, true pea pods and originate from small, white, unscented and fairly insignificant flowers.

[Victoria26]

Thanks both Bluemoon and snadger! I'll keep Clyde away from them!
(I'll plant them close but not entwine them as I had previously imagined)

This place is my favourite on the web!

[Two_Sheds]

I really fancy planting the sweet peas between my beans and peas this year to attract insects.

(edible) peas and also beans produce their own flowers to attract insects.

[Alice]

And they attract sparrows too. Last year those darling birds were ripping lumps of both my sweet peas and garden peas - but I didn't mind

[Snadger]

Purple podded peas have delicate purple flowers.

My favourite legume flower though is the dwarf crimson flowered broad bean! Equally at home in the flower or vegetable garden and tasty too!

[Flummery]

I'll back you on that Snadger. You only get a few beans to the pod, but LOTS of pods and the bright jade green beans are a joy - to look at AND to eat. Love these!

[Eyren]

And of course runner beans were first grown as ornamentals (the old variety "Painted Lady" is particularly decorative, with red and white flowers), until someone found out the pods are edible.

I'm very tempted by crimson-flowered broad beans, but would have to grow them in my garden - too much risk of cross-pollination on the lottie!

[Flummery]

I'm very tempted by crimson-flowered broad beans, but would have to grow them in my garden - too much risk of cross-pollination on the lottie!

I grow them in my front garden flower bed. They look gorgeous. Send me a pm if you'd like a few.

[Victoria26]

Thanks for everyones comments. This year I have Crimson flowered broad beans and petit pois. I just thought a little extra sweet pea would help attract more insects. I love my climbers too.

Usually my garden is primarily veg - this year I want some colour and friuts too!

[poozie]

this year i plan to have tripods scattered over lottie and randomly grow Scarlet emporer, celebration (peachy flowers) and white lady. ive also a pink one i think, I went a bit crazy with my seed order. but i can always find someone who wants my beans.

[Victoria26]

this year i plan to have tripods scattered over lottie and randomly grow Scarlet emporer, celebration (peachy flowers) and white lady. ive also a pink one i think, I went a bit crazy with my seed order. but i can always find someone who wants my beans.

Ha ha - ditto. I've went a bit crazy too but this is my first year trying to grow peas and beans so I hope it works out!