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Common Name: Sugar Pea

General Information

Pisum sativum macrocarpon is an annual plant that can grow up to 2.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia.

Habitat

Plants are not known in a genuinely wild condition[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Self. Occasionally bees
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a well-drained moisture retentive soil[, , ]. Prefers a calcareous soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7.5[]. Prefers a rich loamy soil[]. A light soil and a sheltered position is best for early sowings[].
The sugar pea has a swollen, fibre-free and very sweet seedpod which is eaten whole when immature. There are several named varieties. This form is harder to grow for its mature seed, especially in damp climates, because the pod no longer has a cellulose membrane to protect the seed from damp and so the seed has a greater tendency to rot in wet weather.
Peas are good growing companions for radishes, carrots, cucumbers, sweet corn, beans and turnips[, , ]. They are inhibited by alliums, gladiolus, fennel and strawberries growing nearby[, , ]. There is some evidence that if Chinese mustard (Brassica juncea) is grown as a green manure before sowing peas this will reduce the incidence of soil-borne root rots[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.

Edible Uses

Immature seedpods - raw or cooked[, , , , ]. Best harvested when the seeds are under-developed, the young swollen and succulent seedpods have a delicious sweet flavour that is just like a juicier form of garden peas[].
Immature seeds - raw or cooked. Sweet and delicious, they can be added to salads, or lightly cooked[]. A nutritional analysis is available[].
The mature seeds are rich in protein and can be cooked as a vegetable or added to soups etc[]. They can also be sprouted and added to salads, soups etc[]. The mature seed can also be dried and ground into a powder, then used to enrich the protein content of flour when making bread etc[].
The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[].
Leaves and young shoots - cooked and used as a potherb[, ]. The young shoots taste like fresh peas, they are exceptionally tender and can be used in salads[].

Medicinal

The seed is contraceptive, fungistatic and spermacidal[]. The dried and powdered seed has been used as a poultice on the skin where it has an appreciable affect on many types of skin complaint including acne[].
The oil from the seed, given once a month to women, has shown promise of preventing pregnancy by interfering with the working of progesterone[]. The oil inhibits endometrial development[]. In trials, the oil reduced pregnancy rate in women by 60% in a 2 year period and 50% reduction in male sperm count was achieved[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in situ in succession from early spring until early summer. A minimum temperature of 10°c is required for germination, which should take place in about 7 - 10 days. If you want to grow the peas to maturity then the seed needs to be sown by the middle of spring. You may need to protect the seed from the ravages of mice.