A low-growing, bushy perennial that produces a very pretty display of purple blue pea-like flowers from March to May.

I grow both this variety and also the paler pink type ‘Alboroseus’ as I can never decide which I prefer. Both are excellent plants for kick-starting the display in the herbaceous border and mix well with plants like Dicentra and Pulmonaria.

Lathyrus vernus albaroseus

They are sad looking by mid-summer, so good to remember to plant some late flowering perennials or annuals nearby to fill the gap. I cut back the dead foliage in autumn and the plants can be divided carefully in early spring. I have also collected and sown seed successfully from these plants. Easy and hardy, in sun or part shade.