Sweet pea shrubBotanical Name
Polygala myrtifolia
Family
Polygalaceae (milkwort)
Where is it originally from?
South Africa
What does it look like?Evergreen legume-like shrub (<2 m tall) with young shoots that have short curly hairs, otherwise the plant is hairless. Smooth, woody, stems are much branched, and oval leaves (15-30 mm long) are arranged alternately on the stem. Three-petalled purple and green (on outside of side petals) sweet-pea like flowers (15-17 mm long) appear from January to December in short clusters at the end of stems, and are followed by flat, heart-shaped seed capsules (10 mm long) containing hairy, dark brown seeds (5 mm long).
Sweet pea shrubs are neat, rounded evergreens that bloom off and on all year long. They’re perfect for those spots where you get shade in the summer and full sun in winter. Sweet pea shrubs make wonderful additions to mixed perennial borders in warm climates, and they also look great in patio containers. These tidy evergreen plants bloom in shades of purple or mauve with flowers that are great for bouquets and arrangements. Find out how to grow a sweet pea bush in this article. What is a Sweet Pea Bush? Unrelated to sweet pea garden flowers (Lathyrus odoratus), the sweet pea shrub (Polygalaspp.) gets its name from its similar-looking flowers. Sweet pea shrubs attract bees, butterflies and birds, making it an excellent choice for wildlife gardens. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and thrives in sun or shade. Native to South Africa and sensitive to frost, it survives winters only in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 and 10.
Care of Sweet Pea Bush The care of sweet pea bush is minimal. Sweet pea shrubs survive without a lot of supplemental irrigation, but they look best if you water them regularly. Remember that those grown in containers need water more often than those grown in the ground. Since they bloom year round, they appreciate a little general purpose fertilizer in both spring and fall. One of the things that make sweet pea bush care so easy is that it needs little or no pruning. If you need to control the size, you can give it a light trim any time of year. The stems on older shrubs may become woody. In that case, you can cut it to about 10 inches above the ground and let it regrow. Otherwise, just leave it to grow naturally.
Read more at Gardening Know How: What Is A Sweet Pea Bush: Tips For Growing Sweet Pea Shrubs https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/sweet-pea-shrubs/growing-sweet-pea-shrubs.htm