# Veiny Pea (*lathyrus venosus*)

The Veiny Pea is a fun and colorful plant that grows in the wild! Its unique veined leaves and beautiful flowers make it a special plant to discover in nature.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Fields, roadsides, and open areas.
- **Also known as:** Creeping Pea, Venous Pea, Wild Pea

![Veiny Pea](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lathyrus_venosus_-_Veiny_Pea_Vine.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Fritzflohrreynolds, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lathyrus_venosus_-_Veiny_Pea_Vine.jpg)

## Appearance

The Veiny Pea is a vibrant climbing vine, reaching upwards with its distinctively ribbed, oval leaves. Its showy purple-pink flowers bloom in clusters, each petal often displaying darker veins, making it stand out from typical green foliage.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fabales
- **Family:** Fabaceae
- **Genus:** Lathyrus

## Interesting facts

- Its scientific name, 'Lathyrus venosus', means "veined pea," a nod to its prominent leaf veins!
- Native American tribes historically used parts of this pea plant for various traditional purposes.
- The flowers often change color slightly as they age, deepening from purplish-pink to a bluer hue!
- This plant is a wild cousin of the garden sweet pea, sharing a similar, beautiful flower shape.

## Special abilities

- **Climbing Tendrils:** Veiny Pea can grab onto nearby plants or structures with its clever tendrils that help it climb skyward for sunlight.
- **Nitrogen Fixer:** Veiny Pea has special root nodules that house tiny helpers to pull nitrogen from the air, making the soil richer for itself.
- **Seed Launcher:** Veiny Pea can pop open its dry seed pods to scatter seeds far away, helping new plants grow in different places.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 90-180 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Graze on its foliage.
- **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Shares nitrogen with root nodules.
- **Eaten by:** [Summer Azure](https://www.snappit.app/explore/summer-azure) (*Celastrina neglecta*) — Larvae feed on its leaves and flowers.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Veiny 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 Veiny Pea?

90-180 cm

### How big are the flowers on Veiny Pea?

1-2 cm

### When does Veiny Pea bloom?

Spring to summer

### Is Veiny Pea edible?

No

### Is Veiny Pea toxic?

Mild

### What is Veiny Pea's lifecycle?

Perennial

### How is Veiny Pea pollinated?

Insect

## Where to spot

- [International Peace Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/international-peace-garden) — US · Botanical Garden
- [Surrey Square Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/surrey-square-park) — Virginia, US · Park

## 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*)

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Source: [Veiny Pea: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/veiny-pea)