My guess would be genetic throwbacks. When you save hybrid seed it will often revert back to the original variety. If you want to save seeds use heritage seeds. They will come true to form. With hybrid seeds it's a crap shoot, you may get what you are looking for but more likely will not

Thanks.
The peas did not do well last year due to the drought and I assumed the yellow pods were due to lack of water. They did not taste as good as the purple pods and I assumed they were immature and tossed them in the garden and compost pile. This year you cannot even see the ground between the rows in the garden, peas are growing everywhere.

Are pink-eyed purple hulls a hybrid? I planted them for the first time this year and I am getting a few pods like those described, i.e. yellowish with a slight purple tint, though most are the normal dark purple. I started getting the odd pods after we had a very hot dry spell and I figured maybe they were just sun burned or something.

I thought I had read here about folks saving these seeds, which would imply they are stable and not a hybrid.

Chuck

Pink eye purple hulls are not hybrids, However they do cross pollinate and absolutely pure seed is difficult to find. Many of the older types are more vigorous and will prevail as volunteers. Southern peas unlike beans cross pollinate readily, but it too difficlt to control cross polination for seed production, so there are no commercial hybrids.