‘Champion of England’ Heirloom Pea Seeds

A prized English heirloom, dating back to 1890, ‘Champion of England’ is a seed vegetable that Charles Darwin once called the best pea in all England. This tall shelling pea sets plump pods, each packed with 8 to 10 large, sugary sweet peas. If you haven’t tasted peas fresh out of the garden, you really haven’t tasted peas at all.

This hardy herbaceous annual plant is a member of the legume family (Leguminosae or Fabaceae). ‘Champion of England’ produces heavy yields and grows vigorously, forming a tendril-bearing vine that should be grown on a support, a pea fence, or a trellis. It’s tall, vertical growth uses space efficiently, making it a great option for small gardens.

Easy to grow, ‘Champion of England’ prefers a full sun location with rich, moist, well-draining soil. Nitrogen-fixing plants, peas naturally improve the soil in which they are planted by taking nitrogen from the air and converting it into a usable form in the soil. Open pollinated, this heirloom plant produces seed that will grow true to variety.

A cool-season, semi-hardy vegetable, one of the first to be planted in the garden, pea seeds can be direct sown into the garden as soon as the soil is workable in early spring, before the last frost date, ideally with temperatures ranging between 55 to 65°F. But pea seeds can also be started indoors and transplanted, spring and fall. They need cold temperatures to germinate and grow and can withstand light frost and temperatures in the 28- to 32-degree range.