Pea - Varieties

Varieties

There are many varieties (cultivars) of garden peas. Some of the most common varieties are listed here. PMR indicates some degree of powdery mildew resistance; afila types have clusters of tendrils instead of leaves.

• Alaska, 55 days (smooth seeded)
• Thomas Laxton/Laxton's Progress/Progress #9, 60-65 days
• Mr. Big, 60 days, 2000 AAS winner
• Little Marvel, 63 days, 1934 AAS winner
• Early Perfection, 65 days (This variety is the foundation of many improved varieties and crosses, including Dark-Seeded Early Perfection and Bolero, the latter being one of the most successful commercial varieties.)
• Kelvedon Wonder, 65 days, 1997 RHS AGM winner
• Sabre, 65 days, PMR
• Homesteader/Lincoln, 67 days (heirloom, known as Greenfeast in AU, NZ)
• Serge, 68 days, PMR, afila
• Wando, 68 days
• Green Arrow, 70 days
• Tall Telephone/Alderman, 75 days (heirloom, tall climber)

Other variations of P. sativum include:

• Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon is commonly known as the snow pea.
• Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon ser. cv. is known as the sugar or snap pea.

Both of these are eaten whole before the pod reaches maturity and are hence also known as mange-tout, French for "eat all". The snow pea pod is eaten flat, while in sugar/snap peas, the pod becomes cylindrical, but is eaten while still crisp, before the seeds inside develop.