Nevada Pea

Lathyrus lanszwertii

Native to:
Canada, Mexico, United States

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Fabaceae
Genus:
Lathyrus
Species:
Lathyrus lanszwertii
USDA Symbol:
LALA3

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb , Vine
Height:
60 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
apr,may,jun,jul
Bloom Colors:
purple, pink, white

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
Butterflies & Moths:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Caterpillars:
★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Queen Alexandra's Sulphur (Colias alexandra), Western Sulphur (Colias occidentalis), Western Tailed-Blue (Everes amyntula)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
bees, butterflies, small mammals
Fire Ecology:
Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
Fire Notes:
Resprouts from rootstock following fire. Often increases in abundance in post-fire environments.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
prefers habitats near streams or moist meadows

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
Scarification:
Seed coat scarification required before sowing
Germination Time:
14–42 days
Notes:
Scarification of the hard seed coat is recommended before cold stratification. Soaking in warm water for 24 hours may substitute for mechanical scarification.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI