Growing Peas: Four Basic Types
Type of Pea | Description | Cultural Tips for Peas | Pea Varieties |
Snap pea
(subspecies macrocarpon) | Plump, edible pods have thicker flesh than snow peas and also stay sweet and tender longer. | Pod size and tenderness vary with variety. Extend the harvest season by growing short and tall varieties. |
‘Amish Snap,’ ‘Cascadia,’
‘Sugar Ann,’ ‘Sugar Sprint,’ ‘Sugar Snap’
|
Snow pea
(subspecies macrocarpon) | Flattened pods lack tough inner membrane present in shell peas, so they can be eaten whole. | Harvest pods when the peas inside are barely visible. Add tendrils to salads and stir-fries. |
‘Golden Sweet Pea,’ ‘Snowflake,’ ‘Snow Sweet,’ ‘Oregon Sugar Pod II,’ ‘Oregon Giant
|
Shell pea
(subspecies sativum) | Eat only the peas; pods are tough and stringy. Harvest when the pods begin to look waxy, before the sugars in the peas change to starch. | Plants produce all at once, making freezing and canning more convenient. Short varieties grow well in containers. |
‘Dakota,’ ‘Eclipse,’ ‘Knight,’ ‘Canoe,’ ‘Tom Thumb’
|
Soup peas
(subspecies arvense) | Seed color may be beige, brown, yellow or green. Cooking time varies with variety. |
Easy to grow and also can be used as a nitrogen-fixing cover crop. Many varieties are adapted to dry climates.
| 'Alaska,’ ‘Blue Podded,’ ‘Carlin,’ ‘Margaret McKee’s Baking Pea’ |
* To learn more, see All About Growing Peas.
