Field Pea is an annual grown for its pods, ready to pick about 70 days after sowing. It's hardy across USDA zones 2 through 10. Its late spring flowers are a modest draw for honeybees, even though the pods are the prize. A nitrogen-fixer, it draws nitrogen from the air and feeds it back to the soil — turn it under or leave the roots in place, and the next planting inherits a richer bed.
Zones
2-10
pH Range
4.5-8.3
Sun
Full Sun
Days to Maturity
70
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What Field Pea is
Field Pea grows as an annual and reaches around two feet at maturity. It blooms in late spring.
How to grow Field Pea
Field Pea grows in USDA zones 2 through 10 and is ready to harvest about 70 days after planting. Field Pea does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 8.3, on well-drained ground. It needs around 1,000 growing degree days to mature and a growing season of at least 60 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
2-10
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.5 - 8.3
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Full Sun
plant_species_v5.csv
Drainage
well (dry spells)
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost Tolerance
39.2°F
plant_species_v5.csv
Days to Maturity
70 days
Field pea / Austrian winter pea; nitrogen-fixing cover crop.
SARE; MidwestCC
GDD Required
1000+
plant_species_v5.csv
Mature Height
2 ft
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost-Free Days
60+
plant_species_v5.csv
Start the season right
Plant field pea in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Field Pea prefers pH 4.5 to 8.3 (USDA PLANTS Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band. It fixes its own nitrogen, so skip the high-nitrogen feed and instead dust the seed with a matching rhizobium inoculant at sowing.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at maturity
Field Pea is ready about 70 days after sowing (SARE; MidwestCC). Pick the pods young and tender, before the seeds inside fully swell.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — field pea isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Field Pea offers low value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership.)
Where Field Pea thrives
On hardiness alone, field pea grows across most of the country — its range (USDA zones 2 through 10) is unusually wide. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 2–10·Where Field Pea growsOpen map →
Continental US shown — Alaska and US Pacific territories sit outside the federal map's polygon dataset.
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Field Pea can grow in these states:
See if Field Pea will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether field pea actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Field Pea in my zone?
Field Pea grows in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 10 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
How long does Field Pea take to grow?
Field Pea is ready to harvest about 70 days after planting (SARE; MidwestCC). Your local frost dates and soil temperature move that window earlier or later.
When should you plant Field Pea?
Most growers plant field pea after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 60-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Field Pea need?
Field Pea needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Field Pea need?
Field Pea prefers soil pH 4.5 to 8.3, on well-drained ground (USDA PLANTS Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Field Pea attract pollinators?
Yes — field pea's flowers are a modest nectar source for honeybees (Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership).
Is Field Pea safe for pets?
Field Pea is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data (ASPCA). Always supervise pets around new plantings.