Sierra pea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sierra pea |
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| Flowers | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Lathyrus
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| Species: |
nevadensis
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The Sierra pea or purple peavine (Lathyrus nevadensis) is a cool plant that grows back every year. It's a type of herb that can stand up straight or climb like a vine. You can find it in the forests and open areas of western North America. It grows from British Columbia in Canada down to northern California in the United States. It also grows as far east as Idaho.
What Does the Sierra Pea Look Like?
The Sierra pea plant can trail along the ground or weakly climb. It uses special little curly parts called tendrils to help it climb. It can grow up to about 3 feet (1 meter) tall.
Its leaves are made up of smaller parts called leaflets. There are usually 4 to 10 leaflets on each leaf. At the end of the leaf stem, there's a straight tendril.
How Does the Sierra Pea Reproduce?
The flowers of the Sierra pea have both male and female parts. This means they can make seeds on their own. Bees love these flowers and help them make seeds by carrying pollen from one flower to another.
This plant can also spread underground. It uses special stems called rhizomes that creep along. These rhizomes can grow new plants, helping the Sierra pea spread across an area.
