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Vetches (Vicia)
Vetches are a large group of flower plants in the pea family. They grow natively on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Several varieties of vetches are cultivated for human and animal consumption. A few vetches are grown ornamentally for their beautiful-colored flowers, while many others are important food for caterpillars, butterflies, and moths.
Lifespan
Annual, Perennial
Plant Type
Vegetable
Key Facts About Vetches
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Attributes of Vetches
Leaf type
Semi-evergreen
Ideal Temperature
20 - 38 ℃
Scientific Classification of Vetches
Distribution of Vetches
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Distribution Map of Vetches
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Vetches
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The vetches genus, encompassing a variety of leguminous plants, is notable for its ease of care and adaptability. Basic care needs for vetches include partial to full sunlight exposure and well-draining soil with moderate fertility. Water requirements are average, but care should be taken to avoid waterlogging. Vetches thrives in a range of temperature conditions but prefers cooler climates. Common challenges include susceptibility to pests like aphids and diseases such as powdery mildew. Seasonal considerations involve planting or sowing during spring, with reduced watering in winter. In colder regions, vetches may require protection or die back to the ground, resprouting in spring.
Exploring the Vetches Plants
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8 most common species：
Common vetch
Common vetch (Vicia sativa) is an annual herb plant also commonly called vetch, tare, and garden vetch. It is often considered a weed, but is also utilized for manure and animal feed for livestock across the world. When grown for agricultural purposes, it is sown in dense fields.
Hairy vetch
Hairy vetch is often grown as a cover crop, or to provide forage or fodder for animals. However, use caution when planting and check your local regulations, as this plant is considered an invasive species in many states in the U.S. and several other countries.
Bird vetch
Bird vetch (Vicia cracca) is a flowering species of vetch native to Europe and Asia. In North America, bird vetch is considered an invasive species and a weed. In these environments, the flowering plant often grows in industrial disturbed environments like oil fields.
Broad bean
Broad bean (Vicia faba) is a fruit-bearing flowering plant related to the pea. Its origins are unknown. The broad bean is also called the broad bean or the faba bean. This plant is widely cultivated for human consumption and has a broad range of culinary uses.
Bush vetch
Bush vetch (*Vicia sepium*) is a nitrogen-fixing, perennial, leguminous, climbing plant that flowers from spring to summer. Bush vetch grows in Western Europe, Russia, including Siberia, Crimea, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. This species is often found growing on hedgerows, grasslands, the edges of woodland, and roadsides.
Tiny vetch
Tiny vetch (*Vicia hirsuta*) is an annual herbaceous climbing plant that will grow from 61 to 91 cm tall. Pale blue to white flowers bloom from spring to summer. Flowers attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. It reproduces by seeds that ripen in fall and are dispersed by wind. The seed, leaf, and stem are edible when cooked.
Fine-leaved vetch
The fine-leaved vetch grows as a perennial herbaceous plant. The slender stem is about 60 to 150 cm high and like the leaves hairy short-fitting hairy, but can also be more or less bare. The changeable leaves are paired pinnate with mostly 9 to 14 pairs of leaflets.
American Vetch
American Vetch (Vicia americana) is a perennial vine that thrives in full sun to partial shade and is commonly found growing in thickets fields and prairies. Blooms from spring to fall with loose clusters of pinkish-purple flowers. Produces pea-shaped pods that turn reddish-brown when ripe containing about 10 seeds per pod.
All Species of Vetches
Common vetch
Common vetch
Common vetch (Vicia sativa) is an annual herb plant also commonly called vetch, tare, and garden vetch. It is often considered a weed, but is also utilized for manure and animal feed for livestock across the world. When grown for agricultural purposes, it is sown in dense fields.
Hairy vetch
Hairy vetch
Hairy vetch is often grown as a cover crop, or to provide forage or fodder for animals. However, use caution when planting and check your local regulations, as this plant is considered an invasive species in many states in the U.S. and several other countries.
Bird vetch
Bird vetch
Bird vetch (Vicia cracca) is a flowering species of vetch native to Europe and Asia. In North America, bird vetch is considered an invasive species and a weed. In these environments, the flowering plant often grows in industrial disturbed environments like oil fields.
Broad bean
Broad bean
Broad bean (Vicia faba) is a fruit-bearing flowering plant related to the pea. Its origins are unknown. The broad bean is also called the broad bean or the faba bean. This plant is widely cultivated for human consumption and has a broad range of culinary uses.
Bush vetch
Bush vetch
Bush vetch (*Vicia sepium*) is a nitrogen-fixing, perennial, leguminous, climbing plant that flowers from spring to summer. Bush vetch grows in Western Europe, Russia, including Siberia, Crimea, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. This species is often found growing on hedgerows, grasslands, the edges of woodland, and roadsides.
Tiny vetch
Tiny vetch
Tiny vetch (*Vicia hirsuta*) is an annual herbaceous climbing plant that will grow from 61 to 91 cm tall. Pale blue to white flowers bloom from spring to summer. Flowers attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. It reproduces by seeds that ripen in fall and are dispersed by wind. The seed, leaf, and stem are edible when cooked.
Fine-leaved vetch
Fine-leaved vetch
The fine-leaved vetch grows as a perennial herbaceous plant. The slender stem is about 60 to 150 cm high and like the leaves hairy short-fitting hairy, but can also be more or less bare. The changeable leaves are paired pinnate with mostly 9 to 14 pairs of leaflets.
American Vetch
American Vetch
American Vetch (Vicia americana) is a perennial vine that thrives in full sun to partial shade and is commonly found growing in thickets fields and prairies. Blooms from spring to fall with loose clusters of pinkish-purple flowers. Produces pea-shaped pods that turn reddish-brown when ripe containing about 10 seeds per pod.
Two-leaf vetch
Two-leaf vetch
Two-leaf vetch is a perennial herbaceous plant notable for its graceful climbing habit, supported by slender tendrils. It typically thrives in temperate grasslands, where its pinnate leaves, composed of one to two pairs of leaflets, catch the sunlight dappling through. In spring, the plant bejewels the verdure with delicate, purple-pea-like flowers, which later give way to slender pods. Its underground rhizomes not only store nutrients but also help two-leaf vetch extend its reach in its natural habitats.
Louisiana Vetch
Louisiana Vetch
Some of the places you’ll find louisiana Vetch (Vicia ludoviciana) in the wild include riverbanks, grasslands, woodlands, and hillsides. It has cylindrical, light-brown seed pods. If you’re going to try to grow it at home, keep in mind that its water needs are minimal. It also thrives best in full sunlight.
Smooth yellow vetch
Smooth yellow vetch
Smooth yellow vetch is a wild herb that grows along the coastline of its native region in shingle and grassy areas. It produces lemon-yellow flowers. The plant is popular with pollinators, particularly butterflies.
Lentil vetch
Lentil vetch
Lentil vetch is an annual herb that has a vining growth habit and is known to be invasive. It is native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, where it can be found in open fields and wooded areas. The latter part of its name, vetch, means "to bend or wind" or "I cling to thee," which is a nod to its climbing abilities.
Large yellow vetch
Large yellow vetch
Large yellow vetch (Vicia grandiflora) is found growing in various parts of Europe and the Americas. It's an annual herbaceous vine that flowers with white or yellow blossoms in the springtime.
Kashubian vetch
Kashubian vetch
The Kassuben vetch is a perennial herbaceous plant with a branchy, creeping basal axis and short, thick bottoms. The usually single stems is simple or branched, usually upright, rarely lying or climbing, 30 to 60 cm long, angular and like the leaves more or less short and soft hairy to verkahlend.
Hairy yellow vetch
Hairy yellow vetch
Hairy yellow vetch, blooms in an unusual shape. It is a papilionaceous flower, meaning it has one large "banner" petal, with four symmetrical petals below, called wings and keels. The tendrils of hairy yellow vetch are prone to climbing their terrain in the Mediterranean woodlands and bushland.
French vetch
French vetch
French vetch is an annual plant known for its unpleasant odor and taste in grain and foliage. It is tolerant to cold and frequently seen as an ornamental feature in well-drained, moist borders. This plant is often used as a forage crop and green manure.
Sainfoin vetch
Sainfoin vetch
Similar to Vicia altissima the cana pea emits long stems, climbers called "turiones", up to 50 cm., Although they are usually about 30, angular, with dense white hairs.
Wood vetch
Wood vetch
The wood vetch (Vicia sylvatica) is a flowering plant found in Ireland. The genus is related to lentils and peas. Members of the Vicia genus were among the first domesticated plants, with evidence of their cultivation stretching back to 9,000 years ago.
Spring vetch
Spring vetch
Vicia lathyroides is an annual with stems up to 12 cm long. The leaves have 2 or 4 pairs of leaflets which end in a tendril or point. The flowers are single up to 6 mm long and without a stalk. The petals are purple and produce a pod up to 2 cm long.
Bitter vetch
Bitter vetch
Bitter vetch is an ancient grain that is still fed to ruminant cattle and sheep today. Bitter vetch grows on disturbed ground; however, it is widely admired for its easy cultivation and harvesting and ability to grow in the shallowest of soils, making it a staple crop in Turkey, Spain, and Morocco.
Giant vetch
Giant vetch
Giant vetch (Vicia gigantea) is a type of wild legume that grows in patches along the Pacific coast of North America. It is most commonly found in recently burned or otherwise disturbed soil. As the giant vetch's legume pods dry and mature they turn black. A similar subspecies is found in Chile and Argentina.
Carolina vetch
Carolina vetch
Carolina vetch (Vicia caroliniana) is a flowering perennial native to the eastern United States. It is a typical representative of the Legume family, featuring a typical compound leaf and attractive, pollinator-friendly white flower clusters. One might say that carolina vetch looks like a miniature herbaceous version of its woody cousin, the Black locust tree.
Narrow-leaved vetch
Narrow-leaved vetch
The narrow-leaved vetch gets its name from its distinctive thin leaves. This species is an excellent source of fodder for livestock (particularly horses). There is evidence that it was cultivated for human consumption at least as early as Roman times and likely far earlier.
Hungarian vetch
Hungarian vetch
Hungarian vetch (Vicia pannonica) is an occasionally-cultivated crop that is grown for use as fodder and hay for grazing animals. The plant sometimes escapes such cultivation and grows as a weed but unlike some vetches, it is not classed as an invasive species.
Pyrenean vetch
Pyrenean vetch
Pyrenean vetch (Vicia pyrenaica) is a popular ornamental species grown for its attractively spiked leaves and deep red summer-blooming flowers. These bright flowers make summer the best time to observe this plant in its native Mediterranean montane habitats. Pyrenean vetch is named for the Pyrenees mountain range.
Many-seeded slender tare
Many-seeded slender tare
Many-seeded slender tare (Vicia parviflora) is declining in its native arable habitat although its numbers are stable in other locations like hedgerows and coastal cliffs. It can be recognized by its pale violet flowers which, while attractive, aren't showy enough to merit widespread ornamental growth.
Common vetch
Common vetch
Common vetch is a hardy, climbing annual legume, notable for its pinnate leaves ending in tendrils used for support. This adaptable plant prefers sunny, well-drained soils and thrives in temperate regions. Its purple to violet flowers blossom in spring and summer, giving way to elongated seed pods that contribute to its wide dispersal. Common vetch is often utilized in agriculture as a green manure and forage crop.
Sand vetch
Sand vetch
Sand vetch is a robust, climbing perennial legume with a penchant for temperate climates. It flaunts a lush mantle of hairy, compound leaves and tendrils that grasp for support. In the warmth of late spring to early summer, it bursts forth with racemes of striking purplish flowers, which later give way to small, podded seeds, ensuring its spread. Its hardiness and dense foliage provide shelter and nitrogen enrichment, optimizing the soil for future generations.
Vicia japonica
Vicia japonica
Vicia japonica is a climbing perennial native to East Asia, with compound leaves bearing several pairs of oval leaflets. Its robust tendrils help it to grasp onto supporting vegetation, adapting well to diverse forest margins. In the summer, vicia japonica produces modest clusters of pink-purple flowers, which later develop into small, hair-covered pods.
Vicia ramuliflora
Vicia ramuliflora
Vicia ramuliflora is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, characterized by its sprawling growth habit and delicate foliage. The plant features compound leaves with multiple leaflets and produces small, often blue or purple, pea-like flowers. As a hardy legume, it thrives in a variety of soils and benefits from its ability to fix nitrogen, enriching the land it occupies.
Fava bean 'Imperial Green Longpod'
Fava bean 'Imperial Green Longpod'
Fava bean 'Imperial Green Longpod', a cultivar of Faba bean, is named for its unusually long pods which yield up to nine beans. This highly prized cultivar has a particularly high yield because of these long pods and received the Order of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.
Black-eyed vetch
Black-eyed vetch
Black-eyed vetch heralds from the Fabaceae family featuring tendrils and pinnate leaves, which aid in climbing. This perennial plant sports purple to blackish leguminous flowers, an identifying characteristic, and thrives in temperate zones with sufficient sunlight. Its growth pattern is often indicative of soil health, as it enriches the land through nitrogen fixation.
Cheder ebs
Cheder ebs
Cheder ebs is a climbing legume with delicate tendrils allowing it to grasp onto nearby supports. Its fine leaves are pinnately compound, paired with small and exquisite pea-like flowers that add a touch of beauty to its environment. Thriving in temperate climates, cheder ebs's ability to fix nitrogen enhances soil fertility, benefiting surrounding flora.
Fava bean 'Suprifin'
Fava bean 'Suprifin'
Fava bean 'Suprifin' are a large group of flower plants in the pea family. They grow natively on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Several varieties of fava bean 'Suprifin' are cultivated for human and animal consumption. A few fava bean 'Suprifin' are grown ornamentally for their beautiful-colored flowers, while many others are important food for caterpillars, butterflies, and moths.
Fava bean 'Masterpiece Green Longpod'
Fava bean 'Masterpiece Green Longpod'
Fava bean 'Masterpiece Green Longpod' is a Fava bean with a particularly long pod that consistently produces six or seven plump beans. The parent plant’s pods are shorter and produce fewer beans than this hybrid. Fava bean 'Masterpiece Green Longpod' was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society "Award Of Special Garden Merit".
Fava bean 'Crimson Flowered'
Fava bean 'Crimson Flowered'
Fava bean 'Crimson Flowered' is a variety of fava bean with deep crimson-colored flowers that stand in marked contrast to the signature white flowers of its parent plant. The plant grows to 1.2 m and was first cultivated in the nineteenth century.
Wandering vetch
Wandering vetch
Wandering vetch is characterized by its slender climbing habit and delicate, compound leaves with narrow leaflets. Its small, pinkish-purple flowers, which group in racemes, can be seen adorning roadsides and meadows, hinting at its adaptability and resilience. Seed dispersal by pods aids wandering vetch's widespread presence across diverse landscapes, embodying a roaming spirit in the plant kingdom.
Vicia bungei
Vicia bungei
Vicia bungei is a leguminous perennial plant with climbing or trailing tendrils. It features compound leaves and produces purplish-pink pea-like flowers in elongated clusters, typically blooming in summer. Adapted to a variety of soils, vicia bungei forms symbiotic relationships with soil bacteria for nitrogen fixation, contributing to soil fertility, which supports its growth in meadows and fields.
More Popular Genus
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Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
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About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Vetches
Vicia
Vetches are a large group of flower plants in the pea family. They grow natively on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Several varieties of vetches are cultivated for human and animal consumption. A few vetches are grown ornamentally for their beautiful-colored flowers, while many others are important food for caterpillars, butterflies, and moths.
Lifespan
Annual, Perennial
Plant Type
Vegetable
Key Facts About Vetches
Feedback
Attributes of Vetches
Leaf type
Semi-evergreen
Ideal Temperature
20 - 38 ℃
Scientific Classification of Vetches
Distribution of Vetches
Feedback
Distribution Map of Vetches
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Vetches
Feedback
The vetches genus, encompassing a variety of leguminous plants, is notable for its ease of care and adaptability. Basic care needs for vetches include partial to full sunlight exposure and well-draining soil with moderate fertility. Water requirements are average, but care should be taken to avoid waterlogging. Vetches thrives in a range of temperature conditions but prefers cooler climates. Common challenges include susceptibility to pests like aphids and diseases such as powdery mildew. Seasonal considerations involve planting or sowing during spring, with reduced watering in winter. In colder regions, vetches may require protection or die back to the ground, resprouting in spring.
Exploring the Vetches Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Common vetch
Common vetch (Vicia sativa) is an annual herb plant also commonly called vetch, tare, and garden vetch. It is often considered a weed, but is also utilized for manure and animal feed for livestock across the world. When grown for agricultural purposes, it is sown in dense fields.
Hairy vetch
Hairy vetch is often grown as a cover crop, or to provide forage or fodder for animals. However, use caution when planting and check your local regulations, as this plant is considered an invasive species in many states in the U.S. and several other countries.
Bird vetch
Bird vetch (Vicia cracca) is a flowering species of vetch native to Europe and Asia. In North America, bird vetch is considered an invasive species and a weed. In these environments, the flowering plant often grows in industrial disturbed environments like oil fields.
Broad bean
Broad bean (Vicia faba) is a fruit-bearing flowering plant related to the pea. Its origins are unknown. The broad bean is also called the broad bean or the faba bean. This plant is widely cultivated for human consumption and has a broad range of culinary uses.
Show More Species
All Species of Vetches
Common vetch
Hairy vetch
Bird vetch
Broad bean
Bush vetch
Tiny vetch
Fine-leaved vetch
American Vetch
Two-leaf vetch
Louisiana Vetch
Smooth yellow vetch
Lentil vetch
Large yellow vetch
Kashubian vetch
Hairy yellow vetch
French vetch
Sainfoin vetch
Wood vetch
Spring vetch
Bitter vetch
Giant vetch
Carolina vetch
Narrow-leaved vetch
Hungarian vetch
Pyrenean vetch
Many-seeded slender tare
Common vetch
Sand vetch
Vicia japonica
Vicia ramuliflora
Fava bean 'Imperial Green Longpod'
Black-eyed vetch
Cheder ebs
Fava bean 'Suprifin'
Fava bean 'Masterpiece Green Longpod'
Fava bean 'Crimson Flowered'
Wandering vetch
Vicia bungei
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
