Carter’s Daisy Pea Seeds

Carter’s Daisy Pea – Rare Heritage Heirloom (Pisum sativum)

Carter’s Daisy is a historically significant heirloom garden pea dating back to the late 19th century, first introduced by James Carter & Co. of England around 1892. During its time, this variety was widely praised for its compact growth, heavy yields, and excellent eating quality, making it a favourite in traditional kitchen gardens on both sides of the Atlantic.

Classified as a second-early pea, Carter’s Daisy was valued for reliability and consistency rather than flashy novelty. It represents a period in seed history when varieties were selected for flavour, resilience, and practical garden performance—qualities often lost in modern commercial breeding.

 Plant Characteristics

• Growth Habit: Dwarf, sturdy, and well-balanced

• Height: Approximately 16–18 inches (40–45 cm)

• Support Needs: Minimal; can be grown without trellising, though short pea sticks may help with harvest

• Vigour: Strong, uniform plants with excellent pod set

The compact stature made Carter’s Daisy especially attractive to gardeners with limited space, while still delivering impressive yields.

 Pods & Peas

• Pods: Bright green, well-filled, and produced in abundance

• Peas per Pod: Typically 7–9 large peas

• Flavour: Sweet, rich, and traditional — the kind of pea flavour remembered from older gardens

• Use: Excellent for fresh eating, steaming, boiling, or classic garden dishes

Historical descriptions frequently praised how heavily the plants cropped, with rows appearing almost entirely covered in pods at peak production.

Maturity

• Type: Second-early

• Days to Maturity: Roughly 85–95 days from sowing, depending on climate

This made it a dependable main-season pea, fitting neatly between early and late varieties.

 Genetic & Heirloom Value

Carter’s Daisy is an open-pollinated, non-hybrid variety that grows true from saved seed. It represents over 130 years of preserved garden genetics, offering a living connection to historic pea breeding before industrial agriculture reshaped vegetable varieties.

 Rarity & Preservation Status

While not “endangered” in a scientific or botanical sense, Carter’s Daisy is exceptionally rare in modern cultivation. It is largely absent from commercial seed catalogues and is maintained, if at all, by only a handful of dedicated seed savers.

In heirloom-seed terms, this places Carter’s Daisy among at-risk heritage varieties—plants that may quietly disappear without intentional preservation. Its scarcity makes it especially valuable to gardeners interested in seed saving, food security, and maintaining genetic diversity.

Growing Notes

• Sowing: Direct sow as soon as soil can be worked in spring

• Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil with consistent moisture

• Sun: Full sun

• Spacing: Typical pea spacing allows good airflow and pod development

• Harvest: Pick frequently while pods are full but still tender to encourage continued production

Seed Saving

Allow pods to fully mature and dry on the plant before harvesting seed. Once dried, shell and store in a cool, dry location. Properly saved seed remains viable for several years and will reproduce true to type.

These pea seeds are available directly from Garden Faerie Botanicals in the heart of British Columbia, Canada. The collection features heirloom and heritage seeds that are personally cultivated organically without the use of any chemicals. Emphasizing historical, rare, non-GMO seeds, this selection preserves biodiversity through open-pollination.