Beach Pea (Lathyrus japonicus) is a circumboreal coastal species found in maritime regions across North America, Europe, and Asia. It has a wide North American range, extending along sandy beaches, dunes, and coastal grasslands from Alaska to California, the Great Lakes, and down the Atlantic coast. The plant features attractive blue-green foliage and produces showy, sweet-scented pea flowers that range in color from pale pink to deep purple, adding splashes of vibrant color to the coastal landscape. Beach Pea has the ability to fix nitrogen from the air into the soil and colonize beneficial bacteria in the deep taproots that keep plants anchored through high tide events and coastal winds.
 
Beach Pea typically blooms from late spring to midsummer, with its peak bloom occurring from June to July. The nectar-rich flowers attract various species of native bees and small butterflies. The plant also serves as a host for Eastern Tailed Blue butterfly (Cupido comyntas) in the eastern US. Additionally, the seeds of Beach Pea serve as a food source for shorebirds and other coastal wildlife. Although generally accepted as native, there is some debate in the Salish Sea region as to whether Beach Pea is truly an endemic species. Being conspicuously absent from both early botanical records and local Native lore suggests that Beach Pea was possibly introduced mid-colonization, as is the case for a number of other circumboreal maritime species. 
 
Beach Pea prefers well-drained, sandy or gravelly soils, including those with higher levels of salinity. To germinate Beach Pea seeds, scarification and/or cold stratification may be necessary to break the hard seed coat and improve germination rates. Seeds can simply be sown up to 1/4" deep in sandy soil in the fall, or soak the seeds in warm water or gently nick the seed coat with a file or sandpaper. Sow the scarified seeds up to 1/4” deep in sandy soil and maintain consistent moisture levels during germination, which usually occurs within a few weeks under optimal conditions.