Understory
← Species & systems
Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)

Common Vetch

Vicia sativa

Non-foodZones 49groundcoverclimber

Vicia sativa, known as the common vetch, garden vetch, tare or simply vetch, is a nitrogen-fixing leguminous plant in the family Fabaceae. It is now naturalised throughout the world occurring on every continent, except Antarctica and the Arctic. The centre of diversity is thought to be the Fertile Crescent, although gold standard molecular confirmation is currently not available.

Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

At a glance

Sunlight
Full sun
Water need
Low
Mature height
0.6 m
Maintenance
Low
Hardiness
USDA 4–9
Layers
groundcover, climber

Functional roles

n-fixerpollinatorfodder

Propagation

How to make more of this plant for free — the permaculture way.

seedeasy

When: Sow spring or autumn

Quick nitrogen-fixing green manure that scrambles to cover bare ground; flowers feed bees.

Seed data pending expert review. Identification photo and description are sourced from Wikipedia/Wikimedia; always confirm a plant in person before eating any part of it.