Vicia sativa aka Common Vetch

Vicia sativa, or common vetch, belongs to the bean family, Fabaceae. It is an annual with a climbing, scrambling form. Its native range includes Macaronesia and North Africa, south to Kenya. It also spans temperate Eurasia and reaches the Arabian Peninsula. It is native to Britain and Ireland. It grows in fields, meadows, roadsides, and other disturbed ground.

Garden plants reach about 1.6–3.3 feet [0.5–1 metre] tall. Their spread is about 0.3–1.6 feet [0.1–0.5 metres]. Growth is fast, and tendrils grip nearby plants for support. Long, purple stems rise from fibrous roots. The green leaves grow alternately along the stems. Each pinnate leaf has five or six pairs of leaflets. A tendril extends from its tip. The leaf undersides are paler, with fine hairs along the main vein. Fine down also gives the plant a soft look.

Pea-shaped flowers open from April to September in Britain. Their colour ranges from cerise to purple or lavender. Flowers grow alone or in pairs at the leaf axils. Each has a broad upper petal with a central notch. Bumblebees and other long-tongued bees cross-pollinate the flowers. Nectar also draws ants. Flat, green pods follow the blooms and turn dark brown. Each legume holds four to eight rounded seeds. Ripe pods burst open and scatter their seeds.

Grow common vetch in full sun and freely drained soil. It also tolerates partial shade. Sandy soil and loam suit it, and chalk is suitable too. The RHS lists acid, neutral, and alkaline soils as suitable. Soil may range from dry to moist. The RHS rates it H7 for UK hardiness. NC State lists USDA zones 2–10. Plants reach full size within one year. Seeds provide new plants, though their coats may need scarification. No pruning is needed.

Common vetch suits wildflower meadows and gardens managed for wildlife. Growers use it as forage and as a nitrogen-fixing cover crop. In orchards and vineyards, it helps suppress spring weeds. Deer, rabbits, caterpillars, and some game birds eat its foliage. The RHS reports few pest or disease problems. Yet stems that trail unsupported on the ground may rot. Heavy self-seeding can also make this plant spread fast. NC State lists the leaves as edible, cooked or in tea. It identifies the seeds as poisonous to humans, with low severity. The source does not identify the toxin or its symptoms.