Vicia sepium aka Bush Vetch

Vicia sepium, also known as bush vetch, is a nitrogen-fixing, perennial, leguminous climbing plant that can be found in various habitats such as hedgerows, grasslands, woodland edges, roadsides, and rough ground. It is native to western Europe, Russia (including Siberia, Crimea, Caucasus, and Central Asia), as well as parts of Canada, the northeastern states of the USA, and Greenland, where suitable conditions exist. This plant is widespread throughout England, eastern Wales, and Ireland. Bush vetch is a scrambling perennial that climbs using leaf tendrils. Its leaves are arranged in a ladder-like manner, consisting of numerous pairs of green leaflets, with the last two pairs transforming into tendrils. The lilac-blue pea-type flowers are clustered and attract various pollinating insects. These flowers eventually develop into seed pods. The roots of bush vetch have nodules that fix nitrogen from the air, thereby enhancing soil fertility. This rhizomatous plant has a climbing habit facilitated by branched tendrils at the end of each leaf stem, which coil around nearby plants. The stems are unbranched and mostly smooth, though occasionally have soft hairs. They typically grow to around 30-40 cm in length, but can reach up to 100 cm. The compound leaves are pinnate, consisting of 4 to 8 pairs of opposite leaflets, with each ending in branched tendrils. The leaflets are elongated elliptical in shape, measuring 20 to 30 mm long and 8 to 10 mm wide, with smooth surfaces on both sides. The flower stalks are short, carrying 2 to 6 nearly sessile flowers each. To control common vetch, a post-emergent approach using two-, three-, or four-way broadleaf herbicides is recommended. Effective herbicide options include those containing triclopyr, clopyralid, and fluroxypyr.