Pea Guide
Pea Comparison Chart
Compare every pea we carry side by side: sweet shelling peas, crunchy snap peas you eat pod and all, flat snow peas for stir-fries, and specialty peas for color and garnish. Varieties are grouped by type and sorted by days to maturity, with vine height, support needs and disease resistance. Tap any variety to see full details and order seed.
Shelling
Sweet peas shelled from tough pods. Best fresh or frozen.
eat wholeSnap
Round, juicy pods with full-size peas, eaten pod and all.
flat podsSnow
Flat, tender pods picked before the peas swell. Great in stir-fries.
uniqueSpecialty
Colorful pods, soup peas and frilly tendrils for garnish.
Shelling (Garden) Peas
| Variety | Days | Pod Color | Vine Height | Support | Notes | Disease Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
40 | Green | 2 ft | Optional | Earliest; pots & patios | — |
|
50 | Green | 1½ ft | Optional | Miniature; containers | — |
|
55 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Extra early, cold soil | — |
| 56 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Big 4 in. pods |
BYMVCWFPEMVPM
|
|
| 56 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | 6–7 peas per pod |
CWF
|
|
| 57 | Green | 2 ft | Optional | 7–8 peas per pod | F |
|
| 58 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Vigorous in cool soil | F |
|
|
60 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Cold tolerant | CW |
|
60 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | 5 in. pods | — |
|
62 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Sweet, heavy yields |
CWFPM
|
|
63 | Green | 2 ft | Optional | Compact, very sweet | CW |
|
65 | Green | 2 ft | Optional | 7–9 peas per pod |
FFRR
|
| 65 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Semi-dwarf, sweet |
FPMRR
|
|
|
65 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Tolerates warm spells | — |
| 66 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Heavy crops |
BYMVCWFPEMVPMRR
|
|
|
68 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Freezes well |
CWDMFPM
|
| 70 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Pods easy to spot |
BLRVFPEMVPM
|
|
| 71 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Large pods, late | F |
|
|
75 | Green | 4 ft | Trellis | Classic heirloom | — |
Snap Peas (Edible Pods & Peas)
| Variety | Days | Pod Color | Vine Height | Support | Notes | Disease Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
52 | Green | 2 ft | Optional | Earliest snap | — |
| 55 | Green | 2 ft | Optional | Stringless, early | PM |
|
| 59 | Green | 2 ft | Optional | Container snap | — |
|
| 62 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Compact, heavy crops |
PEMVPM
|
|
|
62 | Green | 6 ft | Trellis | The original snap pea | — |
| 65 | Green | 7 ft | Trellis | Dainty pods; shoots | — |
|
|
65 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Bean-shaped pods | — |
| 65 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Semi-leafless vines | — |
|
| 70 | Purple | 7 ft | Trellis | Purple snap pods | — |
|
| 70 | Green | 6 ft | Trellis | Improved Sugar Snap | — |
When to plant peas
Peas love cool weather. Sow as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, usually 4–6 weeks before your last frost, and again in late summer for a fall crop. Days are counted from direct seeding to harvest. Pick every couple of days once pods start; regular picking keeps vines producing.
Snow Peas (Flat Edible Pods)
| Variety | Days | Pod Color | Vine Height | Support | Notes | Disease Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | Green | 2 ft | Optional | Purple flowers | — |
|
| 59 | Green | 2 ft | Optional | Container snow pea | — |
|
| 60 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Oversized pods | — |
|
|
61 | Yellow | 6 ft | Trellis | Bright yellow pods | — |
|
65 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Edible purple flowers | — |
|
65 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Tender flat pods | — |
|
65 | Green | 6 ft | Trellis | Big sweet pods | F |
|
65 | Green | 7 ft | Trellis | Large, sweet pods | — |
| 68 | Green | 2½ ft | Optional | Paired 4½ in. pods |
DMFPEMVPM
|
|
| 70 | Yellow | 6 ft | Trellis | Golden flat pods | — |
Specialty Peas
| Variety | Days | Pod Color | Vine Height | Support | Notes | Disease Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Green | 3 ft | Short fence | Greens 30 d; pods ~70 d | — |
|
|
80 | Blue | 6 ft | Trellis | Snow, shell or soup | — |
Disease Resistance Codes
Days and vine heights are typical values from breeders and seed trials; results vary with growing conditions. A dash (—) means no resistance is published for that variety.