Quick Facts
- Botanical Name: Lathyrus odoratus
- Classification: Spencer
- Petal Pattern: Stripe / Flake
- Color Profile: Chocolate stripe on a white ground
- Fragrance: Moderately Scented
- Breeder: Wiltshire / Beane (Introduced by Thompson & Morgan)
- Year Introduced: 1983
- Flowering Type: Summer
Overview
'Wiltshire Ripple' is a striking summer-flowering Spencer sweet pea celebrated for its dramatic, contrasting petal pattern. It features bold chocolate-maroon stripes radiating over a crisp white ground. As a standard summer bloomer, it is a "long-day" variety that requires at least 12 hours of daylight to successfully initiate its flowering cycle.
Growth Habit
Like most traditional summer Spencers, this variety is a tall, vigorous climbing vine that requires sturdy vertical support to thrive. It produces large, ruffled blooms characteristic of the Spencer classification, held on long stems that are excellent for cutting.
Cultivation Notes
Because 'Wiltshire Ripple' relies on the longer days of summer to trigger its flowering cycle, it should be timed to bloom during the peak of summer rather than forced for early spring cuts. To maximize its potential for long stems and large blooms, provide it with rich, deeply prepared soil. Like all Spencers, it will require regular harvesting and deadheading to prevent it from setting seed pods, which would halt flower production.
Historical Notes
This variety is recorded in the 1983 Annual as being bred by Wiltshire and Beane, and it was commercially introduced by the renowned British seed firm Thompson & Morgan (T&M). The "Ripple" suffix is a classic naming convention used by breeders to denote this highly sought-after striped petal pattern.
In the Garden
Grown for: Eye-catching, striped summer cut flowers, adding a dynamic "speckled" element to garden trellises, and providing high contrast in floral arrangements.
Companion Planting: Pair this striking striped sweet pea with pure whites like 'Wild Swan' or 'White Frills' to emphasize its crisp white ground, or plant it alongside deep, velvety maroons like 'Almost Black' to bring out its rich chocolate stripes.
