Earth Nut Pea

Lathyrus tuberosus

Found in disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 41%

Height: About 1.5 feet

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At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Bloom: Mid spring

Not yet recorded · Spread · Light · Soil · Leaves

County records are not available.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

18CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · 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
Epargyreus clarusSilver-Spotted Skipper
Gesta juvenalisJuvenal's Duskywing
Glaucopsyche lygdamusSilvery Blue

Show all 18

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
Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
Urbanus proteusLong-Tailed Skipper, Bean Leaf Roller
Caryocolum pullatella

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

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

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)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Fabaceae

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Mid spring” · USDA PLANTS via EOL TraitBank · Nationwide approximate species characteristics; tolerance categories do not specify sun hours or moisture requirements
Height · “About 1.5 feet” · USDA PLANTS via EOL TraitBank · Nationwide approximate species characteristics; tolerance categories do not specify sun hours or moisture requirements
Life cycle · “Perennial” · Minnesota Wildflowers

Also known as

Earth Nutpea; Tuberous Pea; Tuberous Sweet Pea; Tuberous Sweetpea; Tuberous Vetchling

Conservation status

West Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	Not available
WV status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source

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