Hi All,

I have a warning to share. I spend so much time, effort, and energy continually working on eradicating this horrible plant. There are so many other things in my gardens that IâÂÂd rather be doing and if I can help someone out by warning them about the potential risks of planting this monster, then that at least would make me a little bit happier. So here goes.

Lathyrus latifolius
Perennial Sweet Pea

I planted seeds of 'Red Pearl' two seasons ago. The germination rate was truly outstanding (a blessing in disguise). The problem is not that this plant spreads underground as much as that it self seeds prolifically.

And to compound the problem, what at first appear to be little seedlings are actually very deeply tap-rooted monsters. By the time the seedling foliage shows up on the surface, they have developed a long multi-pronged taproot and they are extremely difficult to dig up. To make matters worse, if you leave behind even one little piece of root material, a new plant will grow. I have very strong hands and fingers and even I find it very, very difficult to successfully dig out these little buggers.

IâÂÂve also tried covering the most affected area with cardboard and a thick layer of mulch on top of that. Not effective. And forget trying Round-Up. IâÂÂm not a fan of chemical plant eradicators, but IâÂÂm on my second season of battling this beast and I gave in. Multiple sprays barely killed the foliage and the taproots were not affected in the least.

Granted, other folks may have different experiences with this plant in different areas with different growing conditions in different types of soil, etc. But be forewarned. This plant can be a real monster if not diligently dead-headed. If you do decide to grow it, please donâÂÂt ever let it go to seed.

I hope this information is helpful!

Regards all,
Steve