Beach peas are drought hardy!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I mentioned in an earlier post that Michigan has hot, dry summers. It's common to get barely a sprinkle of rain for 8 weeks in a row. I was looking for a flower that would be acclimated to such conditions, and I found one.
WARNING: beach peas are not edible.
I found beach peas. One recent summer I found them far away, on a sandy beach. Then I found them in an open field near my house. So I collected some seeds one fall, and planted them the next spring. Simply cover the seed with 1/4 inch of soil. It works best if you soak them in warm water the night before.
That year they grew up but didn't bloom. That was last year. I figured they were annuals and I would have to plant more seeds this year. But they grew back from the roots!
They like to climb, so I put them next to some juniper bushes and they are climbing up that. They will bloom around July with flowers that are purple and white, and they love heat and dry conditions! Though they will survive heat and some drought, they do still need water. Water twice a week, or if they look wilted, and you should be ok.
http://www.blupete.com/Nature/PictureFlowers/BeachPea.jpg
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Beach pea
Beach pea: DO NOT EAT
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