Marsh Pea

Lathyrus palustris

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

Photographs are not available yet.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

22CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Lathyrus

Apantesis phylliraPhyllira Tiger Moth
Cecropterus pyladesNorthern Cloudywing
Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
Colias philodiceClouded Sulphur, Clover Butterfly
Cupido comyntasEastern Tailed-Blue
Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
Epargyreus clarusSilver-Spotted Skipper
Gesta juvenalisJuvenal's Duskywing

Show all 22

Glaucopsyche lygdamusSilvery Blue
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Heliothis phloxiphagaSpotted Straw Sun Moth, Darker Spotted Straw Moth
Melanchra adjunctaHitched Arches
Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
Pyrrhia exprimensPurple-Lined Sallow, Purple-Lined Sun Moth
Spodoptera albulaWhite-Spotted Armyworm, Gray-Streaked Armyworm
Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
Urbanus proteusLong-Tailed Skipper, Bean Leaf Roller
Caryocolum pullatella
Micrurapteryx occulta

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

3BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Lathyrus

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Lathyrus

Megachile melanophaea

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Lathyrus

Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Fabaceae
Flower color: White, blue, purple or violet

Growing sources and scope

Flower color · “White, blue, purple or violet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Life cycle · “Perennial” · Minnesota Wildflowers
Light · “Partial shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Wet (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

Marsh Pea; Marsh Vetchling

Conservation status

Kentucky rank	S2
Global rank	G5
KY status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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Sources