Description
Snap peas, like all other peas, are pod fruits. An edible-podded pea is similar to a garden, or English, pea, but the pod is less fibrous, and is edible when young. Pods of the edible-podded pea, including snap peas, do not have a membrane and do not open when ripe. At maturity, the pods grow to around 4 to 8 centimeters (1 1⁄2 to 3 inches) in length. Pods contain three to eight peas. The plants are climbing, and pea sticks or a trellis or other support system is required for optimal growth. Some cultivars are capable of climbing to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high but plants are more commonly around 1 to 1.3 m (3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 3 in) high, for ease of harvest and cultivation.
