# tufted vetch (*Vicia cracca*) Tufted vetch is a lovely plant with pretty purple flowers that grow in clusters. It loves to climb and can often be found in fields and along roadsides, making the world a little more colorful! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 16 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![tufted vetch](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tufted_vetch_close_800.jpg&width=800) Photo: The original uploader was Sannse at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tufted_vetch_close_800.jpg) ## Appearance The tufted vetch has slender stems and feathery, grey-green leaves. It produces dense clusters of vibrant purplish-blue, pea-like flowers, which are distinctive for their intense colour and upright arrangement on one side of the stem. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Vicia ## Interesting facts - Bumblebees love its nectar, helping carry its pollen far and wide. - It's a super climber, reaching high with curly tendrils! - Its tiny seeds pop out of pods like miniature rockets! - Vetch was once grown for animal food and to make soil healthy. ## Special abilities - **Nitrogen Power:** Tufted vetch has special roots that team up with tiny bacteria to add super-food nitrogen to the soil, making it healthier. - **Climbing Crew:** Tufted vetch can sprout strong tendrils that wrap around other plants, helping it climb up high for precious sunlight. - **Seed Slingers:** Tufted vetch has seed pods that explosively burst open, flinging seeds away to find new places to grow. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 50-200 cm - **Spread:** 30-100 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.8-1.2 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*) — Collects nectar and pollen - **Eaten by:** Tufted Vetch Aphid (*Aphis craccae*) — Feeds on plant sap - **Symbiotic with:** Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Lives in its root nodules - **Depends on:** Stinging Nettle (*Urtica dioica*) — Climbs on its sturdy stems ## 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. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [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. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [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. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify tufted 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 tufted vetch? 50-200 cm ### How wide does tufted vetch spread? 30-100 cm ### How big are the flowers on tufted vetch? 0.8-1.2 cm ### When does tufted vetch bloom? Late spring to late summer ### Is tufted vetch edible? Yes ### Is tufted vetch toxic? None ### What is tufted vetch's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bellevue Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellevue-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Boerner Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boerner-botanical-gardens) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Cedarmere-Clayton Estates](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cedarmere-clayton-estates) — New York, US · Historic District - [Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/drumlin-farm-wildlife-sanctuary) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Enfield Shaker Museum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/enfield-shaker-museum) — New Hampshire, US · Museum - [Grundy Lake Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grundy-lake-provincial-park) — Ontario, CA · State Park [View all places to see tufted vetch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/tufted-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: [Tufted Vetch: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tufted-vetch)