Sweet Pea Black Knight (Lathyrus odoratus) – deep maroon-purple flowers climbing a hazel support

Sweet Pea Black Knight

£2.30
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Sweet Pea Black Knight (Lathyrus odoratus) – deep maroon-purple flowers climbing a hazel support
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Sweet Pea Black Knight

Lathyrus odoratus 'Black Knight'

A Victorian Grandiflora sweet pea in deep maroon-black, with the powerful old-fashioned scent the modern Spencers lost.

£2.30

Free UK delivery on seed orders over £40

Dispatched from our Norfolk farm by Royal Mail, usually within one working day.

Your growing year

Sow, plant out and flowering months for this variety

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Sow
Plant out
In flower
SowPlant outIn flower

At a glance

Height
1.8-2m
Spread
30cm
Spacing
20cm
Position
Full sun, sheltered. Hardy annual climber.
Colour
Purple
Seeds per packet
20
Soil
Deep, rich, moisture-retentive. Dig in plenty of compost before sowing.
Grow guide How to grow Sweet Pea Black Knight Read the full guide →

About this variety

Introduced in 1898 and still the standard by which sweet pea scent is judged. 'Black Knight' is a Grandiflora, which means smaller and plainer flowers than the modern Spencers, and a fragrance those varieties largely bred out in the pursuit of size.

The colour is a deep maroon that reads as black in any shade and only shows its red in direct sun. Three or four stems in a small vase will scent a room.

Grow it as you would any sweet pea, but do not expect show-bench stems. This is a variety to grow for the nose, cut short, and put where people sit. Pick it constantly or it will set pods and stop within a fortnight.