Risser Sickle Pea

Bountiful sickle-shaped peas grow on tall vines covered in snowy-white flowers. Eat the snappy young pods, or shell them for tasty peas when more mature and plump. The Sickle Pea was one of 17 pea varieties mentioned in 1789 in England by John Abercrombie and ‎Thomas Mawe, though it was listed specifically as one of four that were "cultivated chiefly for curiosity". It must have been selected for flavor over the last 230 years, as it is now very tasty. In his recently republished book Heirloom Vegetable Gardening, William Woys Weaver says it was grown by English and German speaking communities in Pennsylvania in colonial times, and that it was most recently preserved by Pennsylvania Dutch gardener Ida Shriner Risser. In 1985, this variety was taken in by the Landis Valley Heirloom Seed Project in Pennsylvania. We received our seed from William Woys Weaver who preserves thousands of heirloom varieties at Roughwood Seed Collection. Days to maturity: 65 Seeds per pack: 50 Germination rate