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Perennial

No. 0463 · Pisum sativum

Marrowfat Grey Pea

Crop
Legume
Climate
Cold
Season
Spring
Origin
Lancashire, England

No. 0463The variety

A tall gray-seeded field pea dried for winter, soaked overnight and simmered into the mushy peas of the north.

Grows best inCool, damp springs

Seed passport

Perennial Seed Library · Season 2026

No. 0463
Origin
Lancashire, England
First documented
1860
Days to maturity
90 to 100 days for dry peas
Height
1.5 m, needs support
Hardiness
Hardy to light frost
Sun
Full sun to light shade
Spacing
5 cm in double rows
Flavor notes
Starchy, sweet and savory when dried
Pledged open. Free to save and share.Hudson, NY

No. 0463Growth timeline

From sowing to saving seed.

Stage 01 of 06

  1. 01Early spring

    Sow

    Sow 3 cm deep into moist soil. Most beans want warmth; peas, favas and lentils take the cold.

  2. 02Day 7 to 12

    Germinate

    Protect seedlings from slugs and birds until their first true leaves open.

  3. 03Week 4

    Grow

    Give climbers poles or netting early. Bush types need nothing more than weeding.

  4. 04Week 7

    Flower

    Water at the roots in dry spells so the flowers set pods.

  5. 0590 to 100 days for dry peas

    Pods fill

    Leave seed pods on the plant until they are dry, papery and rattle when shaken.

  6. 06At harvest

    Save seed

    Shell by hand, dry the seed a little longer indoors and freeze it for three days against weevils.

No. 0463Story

The story of Marrowfat Grey Pea

Before peas came frozen, they came dry, in sacks, and the best for drying were the marrowfats. This tall gray-seeded strain was grown in Lancashire from at least 1860 and soaked overnight in nearly every kitchen in the county, then simmered into the mushy peas that still sit beside fish and chips.

The library’s seed was saved by a retired mill worker who grew it on an allotment in Bolton for fifty years. He sent us a jar in 2013, along with a recipe that insisted on a pinch of baking soda.

Grown by

3 growers this season

  • Eamon Keane

    Connemara, Ireland

  • Hanne Mortensen

    Jutland, Denmark

  • Pierre-Yves Le Gall

    Finistère, Brittany, France

No. 0463Marrowfat Grey PeaPERENNIAL SEED LIBRARY

Lending list · Season 2026

Borrow this seed.

Members borrow up to twelve varieties a year. Seed is posted on the first Monday of the month in a hand-numbered paper packet, and all we ask in return is a little of your harvest and a few lines about how it grew.