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Common Vetch

©Les Binns

Common vetch

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Scientific name: Vicia sativa
A scrambling plant, Common vetch has pink flowers. It is a member of the pea family and can be seen on grassland, farmland and waste ground, as well as at the coast.

Top facts

Category

Stats

Height: up to 75cm

Conservation status

Common.

When to see

May to September

About

A member of the pea family (legumes), Common vetch is able to make its own nitrates, a special nutrient essential for healthy plant growth. This makes it useful as a soil-fertilising plant and it is also often used as livestock fodder. It grows well on grassland, farmland, waste ground and roadside verges, as well as in coastal habitats, such as sand dunes. Groups of one or two pink flowers appear between May and September.

What to look for

Common vetch is a scrambling plant with long, twining stems that have curly tendrils on the ends. Its leaves are like folded ovals that sit opposite one another along the stems. Its flowers are pinky-purple and pea-like.

Where to find

Widespread.

Habitats

Did you know?

As a member of the legume family, which includes Broad beans, Garden peas and pulses, it's no surprise that archaeologists have found evidence to suggest that ancient people used to eat Common vetch.