Pisum sativum

Pisum sativum (garden pea) — one of the oldest crops in cultivation and the plant Mendel used to found genetics. Shelling, mangetout and sugarsnap types in our pea range.

Best selling Best selling
  • Sugar Pea Oregon Pod 100g seeds (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable Sugar Pea Oregon Pod 100g (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Sugar Pea Seeds Pisum Sativum Oregon Sugar Pod Annual 100g
    €4,95

    Oregon Sugar Pod sugar peas for gardens sugar pea seeds are a popular choice for gardeners who want tender, edible pods from an annual vegetable pea. Oregon Sugar Pod is known as an early podding...
  • Sugar Pea Norli seeds (Pisum sativum) – organic annual vegetable Sugar Pea Norli (Pisum sativum) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Sugar Pea Norli Seeds Organic Pisum Sativum Annual
    €5,95

    Organic mangetout pea seeds for neat pods sugar pea norli seeds are an organic, annual vegetable choice for gardeners who want a reliable mangetout type with smooth, tender pods. This variety is known for producing...
  • Peas Désirée 100g seeds (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable Peas Désirée 100g (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Peas Désirée Seeds Pisum Sativum Annual 100g
    €4,76€5,95

    Peas Désirée for classic capucijner harvests peas désirée seeds are a traditional capucijner pea type grown as an annual vegetable for home gardens. This désirée pea variety is valued for its distinctive character in the...
  • American Wonder Pea 100g seeds (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable American Wonder Pea 100g (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    American Wonder Pea Seeds Pisum Sativum Annual 100g
    €4,95

    Classic dwarf peas for productive kitchen gardens american wonder pea seeds are a traditional choice for gardeners who want a compact pea plant with reliable performance in the vegetable patch. This is an annual garden...
  • Pea Stardust Microgreens seeds (Pisum sativum) – microgreens Pea Stardust Microgreens (Pisum sativum) – microgreens seeds from SeedsChoice
    Pea Seeds Pisum Sativum Stardust Microgreens Vegetable Variety
    €9,95

    Pea Stardust seeds for shoots and pods pea seeds from the Stardust garden pea variety are a versatile vegetable option for fresh, tender shoots and for letting plants mature to produce small peas. This selection...
  • Kelvedon Wonder Pea 250g seeds (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable Kelvedon Wonder Pea 250g (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Kelvedon Wonder Pea Seeds Pisum Sativum Annual 250g
    €5,95

    Classic shelling peas for sunny gardens kelvedon wonder pea seeds are a popular choice for gardeners who want a reliable crop of shelling peas with a traditional look and taste. This annual vegetable pea forms...
  • Peas Kermesse seeds (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable Peas Kermesse (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Peas Kermesse Seeds Pisum Sativum Annual
    €6,45

    Peas Kermesse Seeds for Outdoor Vegetable Beds peas kermesse seeds are an annual vegetable seed peas selection grown for classic shelling peas in the home garden. This dwarf pea variety develops in a compact, bushy...
  • Peas Record seeds (Pisum sativum) – organic annual vegetable Peas Record (Pisum sativum) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Peas Record Seeds Organic Pisum Sativum Annual
    €4,95

    Organic Record peas for early tender pods peas record seeds are an organic vegetable choice for gardeners who want a reliable, early podding pea variety with generous, tender pods. This snow pea variety Record is...
  • Peas Marktveroveraar seeds (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable Peas Marktveroveraar (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Peas Seeds Marktveroveraar Pisum Sativum Annual Variety
    €4,95

    Peas variety for productive garden harvests peas seeds ‘Marktveroveraar’ are an annual vegetable option for gardeners who want a vigorous, climbing pea variety with reliable performance. This is a classic shelling type grown for its...
  • Peas Marktveroveraar seeds (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable Peas Marktveroveraar (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Peas Marktveroveraar Seeds Pisum Sativum Annual Variety
    €4,95

    Peas variety for tall, productive garden plants peas marktveroveraar seeds are an annual vegetable choice for growers looking for a vigorous, climbing garden pea with a strong vining habit. This shelling pea variety is known...
  • Kelvedon Wonder Pea seeds (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable Kelvedon Wonder Pea (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Kelvedon Wonder Pea Seeds Pisum Sativum Annual
    €4,95

    Kelvedon Wonder peas for compact vegetable gardens kelvedon wonder pea seeds are a classic choice for gardeners looking for reliable garden pea seeds with a tidy, manageable habit. This annual vegetable produces shelling pea seeds...
  • Sugar Pea Sweetsalome seeds (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable Sugar Pea Sweetsalome (Pisum sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Sugar Pea Seeds Sweetsalome Pisum Sativum Annual
    €5,95

    Large light green pods for tender harvest sugar pea seeds sweetsalome are an annual vegetable choice for gardeners who enjoy crisp, edible pods picked young. This large pod pea variety is known for its striking...

Pisum sativum — the garden pea

Pisum sativum is the botanical name for the garden pea, a cool-season climbing legume and one of the oldest crops in cultivation. Sweet and tender, it is the species behind our whole pea range within the peas and beans collection.

History & origin

The pea is among the very first plants humans ever farmed, domesticated in the Fertile Crescent of the Near East and the eastern Mediterranean around 10,000 years ago, at the dawn of agriculture itself. For most of history peas were grown to be dried and stored as a winter staple; the fashion for eating sweet, fresh green peas only took hold in Europe a few centuries ago.

The pea also holds a special place in science: in the 1860s the monk Gregor Mendel used Pisum sativum in his garden experiments to work out the basic laws of inheritance, founding the study of genetics. Its name is simply the classical Latin pisum (pea) with sativum, “cultivated.”

Botanical characteristics

A climbing annual that clings by tendrils, the pea fixes its own nitrogen as a legume and so needs little feeding. There are three main kinds: shelling peas, podded for the sweet peas inside; mangetout, eaten flat and whole; and sugarsnaps, eaten whole when plump. Most appreciate twiggy support like their cousins the climbing beans, while dwarf types are quick enough to feature among our fast-growing vegetables.

Growing Pisum sativum from seed

Peas love cool weather, so they are among the first crops sown each year — from early spring, with hardy types even sown in autumn. Sow direct into cool, moist soil, give support early, and pick often once the pods fill to keep the plants productive. Sown thickly, peas also give sweet, tender shoots for salads in just weeks. Our vegetable sowing calendar shows the windows and our soil guide helps you prepare the bed.

Ready to grow peas? Browse the varieties or learn the basics first.

Related categories: Peas · Peas & Beans · Climbing Beans · Bush Beans · Fast-Growing Veg

At SeedsChoice, every order ships from Meppel, NL with fast, tracked EU delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pisum sativum?
It is the botanical name for the garden pea, a cool-season climbing legume.

Where do peas originate?
From the Fertile Crescent of the Near East and Mediterranean, farmed around 10,000 years ago.

Why is the pea famous in science?
Gregor Mendel used it in the 1860s to discover the basic laws of inheritance, founding genetics.

What are the types of pea?
Shelling peas for podding, mangetout eaten flat and whole, and sugarsnaps eaten whole when plump.

When do I sow peas?
Early — they like cool weather, so sow from early spring, with some hardy types sown in autumn.