Sweet Pea Purple Pimpernell
Lathyrus odoratus 'Purple Pimpernell' — Hardy Annual H3; Spencer type; velvety deep purple
Large fragrant flowers in rich velvety deep purple — the dramatic cottage Sweet Pea with sun-stable saturated colour and long Spencer-quality cutting stems.
About this variety
Large fragrant flowers in a rich velvety deep purple with a slight sheen, and the colour holds without fading in bright sun, which purples frequently do not. On long sturdy Spencer stems, climbing to 2.4m in a season.
A wall of this is a genuinely different thing from a wall of pink sweet peas. It reads as sophisticated rather than nostalgic and it suits a modern scheme, though like any dark flower it needs something pale nearby or it disappears into its own foliage at any distance.
Being vigorous, it will cover a trellis, an arch or a wire fence in one season and flower from June to the first frosts. Sweet peas want the richest ground in the garden, so dig plenty of well-rotted manure or compost into the trench before planting, and give it a support that will take the weight, because a mature vine in full leaf catches a lot of wind.
Pick every flower as it opens. A single seed pod is enough to end the season.
Plant alongside
Sweet Pea Purple Pimpernell pairs beautifully with these cottage garden classics
RHS Plants for Pollinators
This plant has been assessed by the Royal Horticultural Society and recommended as especially beneficial to bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Growing plants like this directly supports UK pollinator populations — something close to our hearts at Salle Moor Hall Farm, where we see the difference a cottage garden full of the right plants can make.
Learn more at RHS.org.uk →