Seasonal Wild Flowers

Bush Vetch

Vicia sepium

Fabaceae

April to November

It is found throughout the country.

See the BSBI distribution map for Bush Vetch

It is found on waste ground, brownfield sites, hedge banks,

at the edge of woods, beside footpaths and roads, in wild

flower meadows and other non-grazed grasslands.

Bush Vetch is a native, climbing, nitrogen-fixing, perennial

herb growing up to 60cm.

The flowers are attractive shades of pink, purple and

blue when they first appear, but they fade to a dull blue

and brown quite quickly.

They attract a lot of interest from insects.

The leaves have a coiling, end-tendril and between

5 to 8 pairs of leaflets.

The pods are hairless and turn black when ripe.

Bush Vetch by a cycle track, Lancaster

Bush Vetch with attaching leaf tendril

Mixture of new and fading flowers

Close-up of flowers from below

Close-up of flowers from above

Seed pods - blacken when ripe

Feeding time