# Common Vetch (*Vicia sativa*) Common Vetch is a climbing plant with pretty purple flowers. It grows in fields and gardens, making the world a little brighter and helping the soil stay healthy. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 9 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Common Vetch](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Vicia_sativa.jpg&width=800) Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Vicia_sativa.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Vetch has vibrant purple, sometimes pink or white, pea-like flowers, often growing in pairs from leaf axils. Its slender, sprawling stems use tiny coiling tendrils to climb, making it look different from many upright wildflowers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Vicia ## Interesting facts - Even some pigeons and other birds love to eat the tasty, protein-rich seeds of the Common Vetch. - Farmers plant Common Vetch to feed their animals, like cows and sheep, because it's so nutritious! - People have grown Common Vetch for thousands of years, even as far back as ancient Egypt! - This plant is a 'pioneer' that can grow in poor soil, helping other plants thrive there too! ## Special abilities - **Grab-and-Go:** Common Vetch can climb using its curly tendrils to latch onto other plants for sunlight and support. - **Pop-and-Drop:** Common Vetch's ripe seed pods can explosively twist open, flinging seeds a short distance away. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-100 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late Spring to Early Autumn - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Symbiotic with:** Legume Root Nodule Bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — fixes atmospheric nitrogen for the plant - **Eaten by:** Domestic Sheep (*Ovis aries*) — cultivated as nutritious fodder - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — visits flowers for nectar ## Traits - [Climbing/Vine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/climbing-vine): Climbing or vine plants are characterized by a growth habit that allows them to ascend upwards by twining, tendrils, or adhesive roots. - [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. - [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock. - [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. - [Symbiotic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/symbiotic): Describes a relationship between two different species where they live in close association, often benefiting one or both. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always check with an adult before touching or eating any plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common 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 Vetch? 30-100 cm ### How big are the flowers on Common Vetch? 1-2.5 cm ### When does Common Vetch bloom? Late Spring to Early Autumn ### Is Common Vetch edible? Yes ### Is Common Vetch toxic? None ### What is Common Vetch's lifecycle? Annual ### How is Common Vetch pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Americus Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/americus-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Tockwotton-Love Place Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tockwotton-love-place-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Cylburn Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cylburn-arboretum) — Maryland, US · Botanical Garden - [Hanover County Courthouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hanover-county-courthouse-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District - [Hoyt Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hoyt-arboretum) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden - [Locke](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/locke) — California, US · Historic District [View all places to see Common Vetch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-vetch) ## 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 Vetch: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-vetch)