Ruusunätkelmä Red Pearl (siemenet)

Lathyrus latifolius 'Red Pearl' is a climbing perennial pea that produces carmine-red flowers on fences, pergolas, trellis, and sunny banks. Unlike annual sweet peas, it regrows every year from its robust crown. This variety has no fragrance but offers a long flowering period attractive to pollinating insects. Sown in situ or in pots, it quickly covers any support provided.

Lathyrus latifolius belongs to the Fabaceae family. It is a very long-lived deciduous herbaceous perennial. The plant forms a fleshy crown with a woody taproot. The stems are winged and angular, climbing or trailing to 1.50 to 2 m in length. Leaves are medium green with a slight blue tinge, consisting of two oblong to oval leaflets ending in branched tendrils. Foliage yellows and disappears in winter, regrowing from the base. In Mediterranean climates, it dies back in summer, with flowering occurring mainly in spring.
From June to September, 'Red Pearl' bears axillary clusters of 6 to 12 papilionaceous flowers, 2 to 3 cm in diameter. The colour ranges from carmine red to purplish red, and even slightly magenta. Flowers are followed by flat pods, 4 to 10 cm long, which split open when ripe and scatter seed. The plant can become slightly invasive if pods are not removed. As a legume, it enriches the soil with nitrogen.

Suitable for quickly covering a trellis, fence, the branches of conifers, or faded spring-flowering shrubs. It lasts well in a vase. Companion plants include Clematis 'Tranquilite', black-eyed Susan 'Blushing Susie', and climbing nasturtium Purple Emperor'.