The sweet pea is a member of the order Fabales, also known as the legumes. Legumes
are an economically important group of plants with root nodules containing a bacterium (Rhizobium) that
helps return nitrogen to the soil. Other legumes include beans, peanuts, soybeans, and alfalfa.
The common, or garden, pea is one of approximately 12,000 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees belonging to the
family Leguminosae. There are a number of different varieties of the garden pea that are widely cultivated. They are
grown as a food crop, and the grain and straw can be used as feed for livestock.
