Fabaceae

Leafy pea

Lathyrus polyphyllus Nutt.

Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Lathyrus

Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants

Leafy pea (Lathyrus polyphyllus) — FlowerPhoto: John A Haskins, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (1)

English: Leafy pea

Synonyms

Lathyrus ecirrhosus A.Heller

Flowers

In flower: May to June (from 122 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: red (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb, Vine
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: native

Toxicity: Slight, as listed by the USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29). USDA rates how toxic a plant is to people or livestock; it is not a pet-safety rating, so ask a vet or poison line if a pet or child ate it.

Photos

FlowerPhoto: John A Haskins, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Sam Kieschnick, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: elik03, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: John A Haskins, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Rod, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Aaron Liston, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Kieran Hanrahan, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: John A Haskins, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

More in Lathyrus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.