# chaparral pea (*Pickeringia montana*) The chaparral pea is a beautiful shrub with bright purple flowers. It grows in sunny areas and helps make the environment colorful and lively. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Mountain regions ![chaparral pea](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pickeringia_montana_m.jpg&width=800) Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pickeringia_montana_m.jpg) ## Appearance The chaparral pea is a robust, spiny shrub adorned with striking reddish-purple, pea-like flowers. Its dark green, compound leaves have three leaflets, giving it a distinct texture. These vibrant blossoms create a beautiful contrast against its sturdy, woody stems. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Pickeringia ## Interesting facts - It's like a living fortress, with spiny branches guarding its leaves from browsers! - Its scientific name, Pickeringia, honors American botanist Charles Pickering. - The chaparral pea's wood is so hard, it was once used to make small, strong tools. - This tough plant can live for many decades, some even over 100 years! ## Special abilities - **Fire Resister:** Chaparral pea has thick bark and can resprout from its root crown after a wildfire, helping it survive and thrive in burn areas. - **Soil Builder:** Chaparral pea can pull nitrogen from the air and put it into the soil, acting like a natural fertilizer to help other plants grow. - **Thirsty Survivor:** Chaparral pea has deep roots that can reach water far below the surface, allowing it to stay green during dry periods. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-300 cm - **Spread:** 100-200 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring-Early Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** Yellow-faced bumblebee (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Eaten by:** [Mule deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — browses on tender leaves and shoots ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Mountain](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/mountain): This habitat trait identifies species found in mountainous regions, characterized by high elevation, steep slopes, and varying climate zones. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants without asking an adult, as some might not be safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify chaparral pea? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is chaparral pea? 100-300 cm ### How wide does chaparral pea spread? 100-200 cm ### How big are the flowers on chaparral pea? 1-2 cm ### When does chaparral pea bloom? Spring-Early Summer ### Is chaparral pea edible? No ### Is chaparral pea toxic? None ### What is chaparral pea's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/black-diamond-mines-regional-preserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [El Sereno Open Space](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/el-sereno-open-space) — California, US · Park - [Leaning Pine Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/leaning-pine-arboretum) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Robert Louis Stevenson State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/robert-louis-stevenson-state-park) — California, US · State Park [View all places to see chaparral pea](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/chaparral-pea) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Chaparral Pea: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/chaparral-pea)