Painted Lady Sweet Pea
Lathyrus odoratus
Painted Lady Sweet Pea is a highly scented, pink and white bicolor variety, which was in cultivation by the 1730's and popular in American gardens through the 19th century.
In 1811 Jefferson recorded the planting of Lathyrus odoratus seeds sent to him by André Thouin of Paris. The sweet pea is a flower associated with old, particularly English, gardens (Francis Cupani, a Franciscan monk, first sent seed of the purple-flowered species of Sweet Pea to England from Sicily in 1699) and was popular enough in America that Bernard McMahon listed five varieties in The American Gardener's Calendar.
In Bloom at Monticello is made possible by support from The Richard D. and Carolyn W. Jacques Foundation.
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Heirloom Seeds and Plants from the Monticello collection
Plant history in your gardens with seeds and plants from Monticello and the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants.
