# Common Kidney-Vetch (*Anthyllis vulneraria*) Common Kidney-Vetch is a cheerful little plant with bright yellow flowers. It grows in grassy places and helps feed bees and butterflies. It's a great friend to nature! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Common Kidney-Vetch](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Anthyllis_vulneraria_inflorescence_-_Niitv%C3%A4lja.jpg&width=800) Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anthyllis_vulneraria_inflorescence_-_Niitv%C3%A4lja.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Kidney-Vetch has soft, downy stems and leaves, topped with distinctive, clover-like clusters of bright yellow, orange, or sometimes red flowers. These vibrant blossoms stand out against its grayish-green foliage, making it easily noticeable in meadows and dry grasslands. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Anthyllis ## Interesting facts - Even after flowering, its distinctive, swollen calyx makes it easy to spot in the meadow. - It's a vital food plant for caterpillars of the tiny Small Blue butterfly, a rare species! - Often called 'Lady's Fingers', its flower clusters resemble small, vibrant yellow gloves. - Remarkably, the flower color can shift from yellow to orange or red depending on the local soil. ## Special abilities - **Soil Enhancer:** Common Kidney-Vetch can pull nitrogen from the air into the soil, making it richer for itself and other plants. - **Resilient Rooter:** Common Kidney-Vetch has deep roots that help it find water and nutrients in dry, nutrient-poor soils where others struggle. - **Healing Helper:** Common Kidney-Vetch has compounds that were traditionally used to help heal wounds, giving it its scientific name! ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to late summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Eaten by:** [European Rabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-rabbit) (*Oryctolagus cuniculus*) — Rabbits graze on its leaves and stems. - **Depends on:** Small Blue Butterfly (*Cupido minimus*) — Its caterpillars feed exclusively on Kidney-Vetch leaves. - **Pollinates:** Small White Butterfly (*Pieris rapae*) — Feeds on nectar, helping transfer pollen. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't pick plants unless an adult says it's okay. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Kidney-Vetch? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Common Kidney-Vetch? 10-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Common Kidney-Vetch? 1-2 cm ### When does Common Kidney-Vetch bloom? Late spring to late summer ### Is Common Kidney-Vetch edible? Yes ### Is Common Kidney-Vetch toxic? None ### What is Common Kidney-Vetch's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Common Kidney-Vetch pollinated? Insect ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Common Kidney-Vetch: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-kidney-vetch)