Wow, a purple snap pea, tender and delicious! 'Sugar Magnolia' isn't just a famous Grateful Dead song, it is also a beautiful, fine-flavored, edible-pod pea with purple flowers. Long hypertendrils (vigorous, multi-branching tendrils) act as extra sturdy supports for 6'-7' vining plants, creating an airy structure that helps prevent mildew. Some of these open-pollinated peas may be speckled with green, or be fully green.

Days to Maturity: 70 days

Family: Fabaceae

Type: Snap Pea (Learn more)

Native: Western Asia, Europe, and North Africa

Hardiness: Frost-tolerant annual

Exposure: Full sun

Plant Dimensions: 6'–7' vines

Variety Info: 3"–4" purple pods. 'Sugar Magnolia' is a cross between 'Parsley Bush' pea and 'Purple Podded' vining pea.

Attributes: Frost Tolerant

When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, when soil temperature is at least 40°F, ideally 60°–80°F and again 10 to 12 weeks before your average first frost date. In Mild Climates, sow in fall or winter for winter harvest. Best grown in temperatures less than 85°F.

When to Start Inside: Not recommended.

Days to Emerge: 5–10 days

Seed Depth: 1"

Seed Spacing: 2"

Row Spacing: 4'–6' apart

Thinning: Not required.

Harvesting: Snap peas should be harvested when peas are plump; pick regularly to increase yield. Use scissors to harvest or hold vine with one hand and pick the pods with the other; vines are fragile.