How do peas differ from beans?

Both peas and beans belong to the legume family (Leguminosae or Fabaceae), which means that they both fix nitrogen in the soil, making it available to other garden plants. They differ mostly in their seedpods. Most peas are seeds produced in a bladderlike pod. The exception is snow peas, which are produced in a fleshy pod that is also eaten. Beans can be either seeds that grow in a fleshy pod or the entire pod. Peas do better than beans at cooler temperatures.