Fabaceae
Vicia sativa subsp. sativa
Vicia sativa subsp. sativa
Also known as Vicia sativa var. willkommii, Vicia sativa var. rosiflora, Vicia alba, Vicia sativa var. grisea
Flowering Plants · Native Plants · Common Vetch · Cover Crop · Nitrogen Fixing · Forage · Legume · Climbing · Wildflower · Green Manure · Pollinator · Fast Growing
Common vetch is a hardy, fast-growing annual or short-lived perennial widely used as a cover crop, forage plant, and green manure due to its nitrogen-fixing ability. It prefers well-drained soil in a sunny to partly shaded position and requires minimal care once established. Sow seeds directly in the garden and allow it to scramble over supports or neighboring vegetation.
Growing conditions
The details behind the basics
- Daily light
- 4 hours
- Watering
- Water moderately to keep soil moist; avoid waterlogging especially in heavy soils · Every 10-14 days
- Maintenance
- Low
- Soil
- loam
- Soil pH
- 6–7
- Temperature
- -40°F to 85°F
- Cycle
- Perennial
Hardiness
USDA 3a-9b
Form & growth
Mature size and habit
- Mature height
- 2 ft – 5 ft
- Spread
- 12 in
- Spacing
- 6 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Root depth
- Medium
- Flowers
- Yes
- Foliage
- Coarse
Ecology & origin
Where it belongs and what it brings
- Native to
- Afghanistan, Alabama, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Amsterdam-St.Paul Is, Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina South, Assam, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Buryatiya
- Attracts
- Bees, Butterflies
Sources: trefle, usda
More Vicia
Related plants from the same genus
Buy this plant
No nurseries currently list it
No nursery lists Vicia sativa subsp. sativa right now.