Flower profile
Pacific pea
Lathyrus vestitus
Pacific pea is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in February–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Lathyrus vestitus is a species of wild pea known by the common name Pacific pea. It is native to western North America, where it is mostly found in the forests, woodlands, and chaparral of California. The ranges of some subspecies extend into Oregon and Baja California. This is a perennial pea vine which varies in appearance across subspecies.
- It belongs to the Fabaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a vine with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 3 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to California. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 13,661 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #58 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
Pacific pea gift ideas
Handmade pacific pea gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Pacific pea art print
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Pacific pea greeting card
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Pacific pea mug
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Pacific pea earrings
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Pacific pea embroidery pattern
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Pacific pea sticker
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in February–June.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Lathyrus latifolius (“Sweet Pea”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records Pacific pea in 3 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
California, Oregon, Washington.
California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Orange, Riverside, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Ventura, Yolo.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LAVE2.
- iNaturalist, Lathyrus vestitus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Lathyrus vestitus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Lathyrus vestitus (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Zack Abbey via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.