Swainsona galegifolia (smooth Darling pea)

Japanese name: スウェインソナ ガレギフォリア
Scientific name: Swainsona galegifolia

[Overview]
An evergreen subshrub about 0.6–1 m tall, though in Japan it is mainly treated as a perennial that dies back in winter.
The stems grow in a semi-climbing manner.
The leaves are alternate, odd-pinnately compound, 5–8 cm long, made up of 11–29 leaflets.
The leaflets are oblong to ovate, 0.6–2 cm long and 0.2–0.5 cm wide, with tips that are notched or sometimes sharply pointed like a needle.
Racemes 8–15 cm long bear 15–20 flowers.
The flowers are pea-shaped with rounded standard petals, and the flower color is white, pink, purple, blue, and so on.
The fruit is an elliptical, swollen legume.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, cuttings, or by division.
In regions without frost it can overwinter outdoors.
In cold regions, grow it in a pot and bring it indoors to a bright place in winter.
Even if the aboveground parts die back in winter, it will sprout in spring as long as the roots do not freeze.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, well-ventilated place.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
If a base fertilizer is applied, no further fertilizer is particularly necessary, but for potted plants, place a small amount of slow-release fertilizer on the soil during the flowering period, watching the plant's condition.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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