Vicia amoena aka Cheder Ebs

Vicia amoena belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae. It climbs and lives for more than one year. Its native range spans much of temperate Asia. It grows in Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Korea, and Japan. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Kew lists it as a perennial climber. Plants For A Future gives its height as about 3.3 feet [1 metre]. The sources give no mature spread or garden size range.

In the wild, it grows in thickets on low ground and low mountains. Records from China also place it in grassland and forests. It grows on hillsides there too. These records span heights of about 262–8,202 feet [80–2,500 metres] above sea level. Thus, it grows in several kinds of habitat, not just one. The species records do not describe its leaves or stems. They give no flower colour or fruit shape either. The RHS page gives these details only for the wider genus.

Plants For A Future lists its bloom time as April to June. It says seeds ripen from July to October. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects pollinate the flowers. The plant is self-fertile, so it can use its own pollen. Bacteria in root nodules also help the species fix nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen helps the plant grow. Some may become available to plants nearby.

Plants For A Future lists moist soil that drains well as suitable. It includes sand, loam, and clay among the soil types. Soil may be mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline. The plant can grow in sun or part shade. But the source bases this advice on the genus as a whole. It says little is known about growing this species. Its native range covers a broad temperate area. Even so, its hardiness in Britain is not clear. The source gives no firm hardiness zone. It lists garden beds as a place to grow it.

Records note the use of cooked young leaves as food. Plants For A Future gives it a low food-use rating. It lists no known uses in medicine or other uses. It reports no known hazards, but this does not prove full safety. The evidence gives no safety review for pets. It gives no pest or disease details for this species. To grow it from seed, the source advises a 24-hour warm-water soak. Sow the seed where it will grow in spring or autumn.