Different Types of Peas: Garden, Snap, and Snow Compared

Peas are among the most rewarding cool-season crops, but not all peas are the same. Garden peas, snap peas, and snow peas each offer unique flavors, textures, and growing needs. As a lifelong gardener, I’ve grown all three types and can help you decide which variety suits your kitchen and garden best.

Table of Contents

Garden Peas (English or Shelling Peas)

Garden peas are the classic pea with sweet, tender seeds that must be shelled before eating.

Flavor: Sweet and starchy with a classic pea taste.
Pods: Inedible; harvest when pods are plump but still tender.
Growing Tips: Cool-weather crop; sow early in spring or late summer for fall harvest.
Best Varieties: ‘Green Arrow,’ ‘Lincoln,’ ‘Little Marvel.’

Snap Peas

Snap peas are prized for their crisp, edible pods and sweet flavor.

Flavor: Crunchy and sugary, perfect for snacking fresh or lightly steamed.
Pods: Thick and edible; harvest when pods are round and full.
Growing Tips: Provide a trellis for climbing varieties; pick frequently for continuous harvest.
Best Varieties: ‘Sugar Snap,’ ‘Super Sugar Snap,’ ‘Sugar Ann.’

Snow Peas

Snow peas are grown for their flat, tender pods harvested before the peas inside mature.

Flavor: Mild, slightly sweet, ideal for stir-fries and salads.
Pods: Flat and edible; harvest when pods are crisp and peas are barely visible.
Growing Tips: Cool-weather crop; stake or trellis for best results.
Best Varieties: ‘Oregon Sugar Pod II,’ ‘Mammoth Melting Sugar.’

My Experience and Recommendations

In my Sonoma Valley garden, I grow all three types to enjoy a long harvest and a variety of flavors. Garden peas deliver the sweetest shelled peas for soups and salads, snap peas are perfect for raw snacking, and snow peas shine in quick stir-fries. Succession planting ensures fresh peas from early spring through late fall.

Whether you prefer the sweetness of garden peas, the crunch of snap peas, or the tenderness of snow peas, choosing the right type—or growing all three—will reward you with abundant, flavorful harvests.