Bix Sweet Pea

At a Glance

Sweet Pea ‘Bix’

Quick Facts

• Botanical Name: Lathyrus odoratus
• Classification: Spencer
• Petal Pattern: Picotee
• Color Profile: Cream base with a vibrant rose-pink to red margin
• Fragrance: Richly perfumed with a vintage character
• Breeder: Dr. Keith Hammett
• Year Introduced: Contemporary (exact year unlisted)
• Flowering Type: Spring-flowering (Short-day)

Overview

Introduced by New Zealand's celebrated plant geneticist Dr. Keith Hammett, this enchanting cultivar was named in honor of the English town where his mother was raised. It was specifically bred to be the cream-based partner to his famous white-ground 'High Society' variety. Showcasing beautifully wavy petals, the blooms feature a soft cream center brushed with a striking rose-red edge, giving them a distinctly nostalgic appeal. Because of its outstanding perfume and its ability to bloom quite early in the season, it has become a premier choice for commercial florists, especially for romantic wedding arrangements.

Growth Habit

Operating as an incredibly vigorous climbing annual, the vines typically stretch up to six or eight feet in height. This highly productive cultivar is prized for its "cut-and-come-again" nature, generating elongated, straight stalks that each commonly support an average of five large, frilly blossoms. As a spring-flowering sweet pea, it requires only about eleven hours of daily sunlight to initiate bud formation, allowing growers to begin harvesting much earlier than they could with traditional summer-flowering varieties.

Cultivation Notes

To foster deep, healthy root systems, seeds should be initiated in tall, deep cells rather than shallow flats. In milder climates, growers can successfully sow in autumn and shelter the plants over winter for early spring planting. Those in colder zones should start their seeds indoors roughly ten to twelve weeks prior to the final spring frost.

When the young vines reach about four to six inches tall, carefully snip off the top growing point; this vital pruning step forces the plant to push out multiple strong basal branches. Make sure to provide a robust vertical trellis (such as Hortonova netting) for support, and always remember that sweet pea seeds are toxic if ingested, so use caution around children and pets.

Historical Notes

Dr. Keith Hammett has spent decades revolutionizing modern sweet pea genetics from his base in New Zealand. While many late-twentieth-century breeders focused almost entirely on the structural size of the Spencer class at the expense of scent, Hammett made it his mission to successfully reintroduce intense, antique-level fragrance into large, ruffled, long-stemmed flowers. 'Bix' stands as a prime example of this success, offering commercial growers a specialized, early-blooming picotee variety that refuses to compromise on perfume.

In the Garden

‘Bix’ is frequently grown for:

• Providing early-season, long-stemmed cuts for commercial floristry
• Adding a nostalgic, vintage aesthetic to bridal bouquets
• Introducing a powerful, captivating fragrance to garden trellises

Companion Planting Notes

The soft cream and vibrant pink margins of this variety blend seamlessly with delicate, airy bouquet fillers such as annual baby's breath (Gypsophila elegans) or the lacy heads of wild carrot (Daucus carota). In a garden setting, placing it alongside solid, dark-hued sweet peas (like deep purples or maroons) will beautifully emphasize its intricate, two-toned picotee pattern.