Varieties of Peas - What are the best peas for your garden?

Peas, those lovely little orbs of green goodness, are a delight to grow in your garden. Not only are they delicious, but they're also easy to grow and packed with nutrients. In this article, we'll go over everything you need to know about planting, growing, and harvesting peas.
Getting Started: Choosing Your Pea Variety
The first step in growing peas is choosing the right variety. There are two main types of peas: shelling peas and snap peas. Shelling peas are the more traditional variety, with thick pods that need to be shelled to reveal the peas inside. Snap peas, on the other hand, have thinner pods that can be eaten whole, making them a great snack.
Within each type of pea, there are several different varieties to choose from. Some popular shelling pea varieties include 'Green Arrow', 'Little Marvel', and 'Wando'. For snap peas, try 'Sugar Ann', 'Sugar Snap', or 'Cascadia'.

There are lots of varieties of peas available to the backyard vegetable gardener. They vary in sweetness and size. Additionally, some pea varieties mature much earlier than others. Some seed companies today even sell several pea varieties in one seed packet. This can be a great way to try out several varieties without spending a ton of money or taking up too much space in your garden.

We've tried several different varieties of peas and have our favorites. We encourage you to try several different kinds and found out which variety of pea is your favorite. Here is a list of some common varieties of peas, along with plant and pod descriptions, etc...



Please keep in mind that the number of "days until ready to be picked" is usually counted after the seeds have germinated. Pea seeds take around a week to germinate in warm soil and can take up to a month in cool soil.
Garden Peas - These are traditional varieties of peas, the pod is inedible, the peas must be removed from the pod before eating

• Spring - this variety is ready in 60 days, moderately sweet flavor, very prolific producer with lots of pods per plant, pods average 6-7 plump green peas each, vines reach 2 feet tall
• 
  
• Survivor - this variety of pea is almost a leafless plant, very stringy vines cling closely together, plant reaches 2 feet tall, each pod averages 8 peas, ready in 70 days, moderately sweet
• 
  
• Thomas Laxton - this variety is ready in 60 days, pods average 8-9 large dark green peas that are very plump, pods average 4 inches long, vines reach to 3 feet tall, moderately sweet
• 
  
• Wando - this variety is very popular, tolerates warm weather and cold weather nicely, ready in 70 days, dark green pods average 7-8 medium-sized peas each, good for freezing or drying, moderately sweet, plants reach 2 1/2 feet tall, good choice for fall pea crop
• 
  
• Garden Sweet - this variety of pea is extra sweet, ready in 75 days, pods average 3 1/2" long, each pod contains 9 -10 medium-sized peas, one of the best tasting garden pea varieties
• 
  
• Mr. Big - this prize-winning variety is ready in 60 days, large dark green pods, each pod averages 9-10 extra-large peas, plants reach 4 feet tall, moderately sweet
• Early Perfection - this variety features crescent- shaped pods that average 3 1/2" long, pods average 8-9 tender peas, peas are medium-sized and sweet, drought resistant and prolific producer, ready in 65 days
• Maestro - this pea variety is ready in 60 days, prolific producer, dark green pods average 4 1/2" long, each pod averages 10-11 medium-sized peas, moderately sweet, good choice for fall crop

• Lincoln - this variety of pea is ready in 70 days, good heat tolerance, each pod averages 7-8 large peas, sweet and tender, freezes well, plants average 2-3 feet tall
• Little Marvel - this variety features plants that reach 2 feet tall, pods average 3' long, each pod contains 7-8 medium-sized peas, sweet and tender, ready in 65 days
• Misty Shell - this variety is ready in 60 days, pods average 3" long, short plants reach 20" tall, disease resistant, sweet and plump peas, each pod contains 7-8 peas, high yields

---

6ft Tall Metal Cucumber Trellis with Nylon Netting Plant Support Pea Tunnel for Vine Beans and Other Climbing Plants Outdoor On or Off Raised Bed Black

​Snow Peas - Otherwise known as sugar peas, these varieties of peas feature flat pods that are sweet and edible, the peas are very tiny, can be eaten raw or cooked, traditional in stir-fry
​

• Snowbird - this variety is ready in 60 days, short plants only reach 18" tall, pods average 3" long, prolific producer, pods set on plant in groups of 2-3, moderately sweet
• 
  
• Gray Sugar - this variety is ready in 65 days, traditional snow pea, tender pods average 3" long, plants reach 18" tall, moderately sweet
• 
  
• Sugar Daddy - this variety of peas features vines that reach 2 feet tall, ready in 75 days, good disease resistance, pods average 3" long, sweet and tender
• 
  
• Oregon Sugar Pods - this variety is ready in 70 days, prolific producer, plants reach 2 1/2 feet tall, pods average 4 1/2" long, disease resistant, very sweet and tender
• 
  
• Mammoth Melting Sugar - this heirloom variety features very tall vines that reach 4-5 feet tall, ready in 70 days, huge pods average 5 1/2" long, pods are thick, holds up very well to longer cooking methods, sweet flavor
• 
  
• Oregon Sugar Pod #2 - this variety is ready in 70 days, pods average 4" long, plants reach 2 1/2 feet tall, prolific producer, good disease resistance, usually 2 pods per group, very sweet and tender
• 
  
• Avalanche - this snow pea variety produces huge dark green pods reaching 6" long, sweet and tender, ready in 60 days, disease resistant, prolific producer, plants reach 3 feet tall
• 
  
  

Snap Peas - These varieties of peas have an edible pod and tend to be very sweet, can be eaten raw or cooked, pods are generally plump and rounded

• Sugar Bon - this pea variety is ready in 55 days, very sweet pods average 3" long, plants reach 2 feet tall, disease resistant
• 
  
• Sugar Snap - this prize-winning variety features 3" long pods, very sweet, classic snap pea variety, vines reach 6 feet tall, prolific producer
• 
  
• Super Snappy - this variety of peas is available only from the Burpee Seed Company, very large pods are ready in 65 days, extra sweet and crisp, each pod averages 9 peas, vines reach 3 feet tall, some disease resistance
• 
  
• Super Sugar Snap VP - this pea variety is ready in 65 days, sweeter than the original sugar snap variety, prolific producer, very disease resistant, plants reach 5-6 feet tall, averages 3" long pods
• 
  
• Sugar Ann - this variety of peas is ready in 55 days, very sweet and crisp, plants reach 2 feet tall, disease resistant, pods average 7 peas each​​.
• 
  

We hope you've enjoyed learning about different varieties of peas. They really taste great if you grow them yourself. Click on the following links to learn more about growing your own peas.