Understanding Sweet Pea Patterns

Sweet peas are often described by color, but color only tells part of the story. Many of the most interesting varieties are defined by their markings: fine edges, streaks, flakes, veins, shifting tones, or contrasting petals.

This guide explains the main sweet pea pattern types you may see in the Sweet Pea Library.

Self

A self sweet pea is one solid color. The standard and wings are the same or very similar in tone, with no obvious contrasting edge, stripe, or secondary color.

Selfs are often the easiest sweet peas to use in arrangements because they create a clear block of color.

Examples from the Library:
Blue Velvet, Carlotta, Edd Fincham

Picotee

A picotee sweet pea has a contrasting rim of color around the edge of the petals. This edging may be very fine, sometimes called a wire rim, or broader and softer.

Picotees are usually seen on pale flowers, often with pink, lavender, violet, or blue edging.

Examples from the Library:
Anniversary, High Scent

Stripe or Ripple

Striped sweet peas have streaks or ripples of color over a paler ground. The markings often radiate outward across the petals and are usually paired with a strong picotee edge.

The word “ripple” is often used for varieties where the striping looks softer, looser, or more flowing.

Example from the Library:
Wiltshire Ripple

Flake

A flake sweet pea is heavily marked with streaks or splashes of color. Unlike a stripe, the pattern appears more saturated and painterly, often giving the flower a richly mottled appearance.

Flakes can be dramatic, old-fashioned, and highly collectible.

Example from the Library:
Earl Grey

Bicolor

A bicolor sweet pea has a standard petal and wings in clearly different colors. In traditional bicolors, the upper standard is usually darker than the lower wings.

This contrast gives the bloom a very distinctive two-toned appearance.

Example from the Library:
Fire & Ice

Reverse Bicolor

A reverse bicolor flips the usual pattern. Instead of a darker standard and lighter wings, the flower has a paler standard with darker wings.

This gives the bloom a striking, unexpected look and is especially prized in modern breeding.

Example from the Library:
Erewhon

Marbled or Veined

Marbled sweet peas have visible veining or netted markings across the petals. The effect is softer than a stripe and usually remains within a single color family.

These flowers can look beautifully textured up close.

Example from the Library:
Emily

Historical example: Helen Pierce

Dapple

A dapple is a newer and more unusual pattern where the color appears as a soft, diffuse swirl rather than a stripe, flake, or edge.

The markings are less defined and can vary from bloom to bloom, giving each flower a slightly different appearance.

Example from the Library:
David Tostevin

Shifter

A shifter changes color as the flower ages. Rather than simply fading, the bloom opens in one shade and gradually moves into another.

This makes shifters especially fascinating in the garden, because a single plant can appear to carry several colors at once.

Example from the Library:
Blue Shift

Why Patterns Matter

Understanding sweet pea patterns makes it easier to choose varieties for your garden, compare similar flowers, and appreciate the differences between historic and modern breeding.

A solid self may be perfect for a calm, elegant bouquet, while a flake, stripe, or dapple can become the flower everyone stops to look at.

The more closely you look, the more personality each variety reveals.