Sturt Desert Pea

Earlier this year we went to Coober Pedy for a holiday.  Coober Pedy is an opal mining town in outback Australia.  

I was unfamiliar with most plants I saw growing out in the desert.  One of the very few plants that I was familiar with was the Sturt Desert Pea (Swainsona formosa).  I have seen these in cultivation before, I even grew one in a pot years ago, but seeing this growing in the wild was an experience. 

Sturt Desert Pea

These plants were amazing.  They have fluffy grey leaves, and large red flowers.  Each plant sprawled several meters in every direction.  

The ones I have previously seen were only a fraction of this size.  It really shows how well suited they are to the harsh desert life.  

One thing I couldn't help but notice was the amount of genetic diversity among individual plants.  

Most were the typical red with the black eye (which I really like the looks of).  Some were red with a red eye.  Others had a red eye, but the red was darker.  

Sturt desert pea - typical form

Typical form

Red Sturt Desert Pea

Darker than the ones above

When I was at university there were huge efforts put into breeding a white Sturt Desert Pea.  It had been noticed that there was a lot of genetic diversity, so they collected germplasm from the wild and crossed and back crossed in the hopes of getting an all white Sturt's Desert Pea.  This was achieved and celebrated.  

It was then noted that these do not perform well in tissue culture, and really must be propagated by seed.  I am not sure what happened to that project, but I remember my lecturer feeling rather down and saying that the project was a waste of time.  

Since then I have heard reports of white flowered forms growing in the wild.  I have even seen a few photos of these pure white flowers, and some incredible pale violet ones.  If you lived somewhere that can easily grow them I don't think it would be difficult to produce a white version that breeds true to type.  The genetics are there.  It would be a matter of picking good parent stock, then back crossing and culling, much like breeding any annual vegetable. 

Several online places sell seed of Sturt Desert Pea.  They are such pretty plants.  Like many Australian native plants they can be a little tricky to grow.  From memory you cannot transplant them easily, so you need to plant the seed where the plant is intended to grow.  I think most in cultivation are grafted onto different root stock as they rot easily.  Perhaps I should buy some seeds and see if I can grow some in a pot.