asparagus pea
asparagus pea or Lotus tetragonolobus
A low-growing ground cover plant with gorgeous maroon flowers. These are followed by a prolific crop of unusual winged pods, which should be picked young, at about 2.5cm long and eaten whole: they have a delicate flavour similar to asparagus.
Allow plants to scramble prettily over the edges of your veg beds or support with twiggy pea sticks.
Allow plants to scramble prettily over the edges of your veg beds or support with twiggy pea sticks.
How to care for asparagus pea:
Asparagus pea prefers a sunny, sheltered spot with well-drained soil. Water regularly during dry spells, especially when plants are flowering and forming pods. Plants benefit from being grown with some support, such as pea netting or twiggy sticks, to keep them off the ground.
Harvest the pods when they are young and tender, around 5cm (2in) long, as they quickly become tough and stringy if left too long. Pick every couple of days to encourage continuous cropping through summer.
Harvest the pods when they are young and tender, around 5cm (2in) long, as they quickly become tough and stringy if left too long. Pick every couple of days to encourage continuous cropping through summer.
Sowing instructions:
Sow direct outside under cloches from late spring into a sunny spot with free-draining soil, spacing seeds 5cm apart in shallow drills about 1.5cm deep.
Cover seedlings with netting in the early stages to protect from birds, and protect from slugs.
Cover seedlings with netting in the early stages to protect from birds, and protect from slugs.
Eventual height:
0.3m
Eventual spread:
1m
Position:
Full sun
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
approx 50 seeds
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