Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Vicia villosa

Other names

Hairy Vetch, Winter Vetch

Family

Fabaceae

Flowering season

June to August

English distribution

It is thinly scattered throughout the country, but is more

common in the Southeast around London.

See the BSBI distribution map for Fodder Vetch

Habitat

It is a neophyte, which has been grown in England since

the 1810s and appeared in the wild soon after.

It is a casual found on grassy banks, waste tips and

waste ground, and in arable fields.

It has become established long-term in some places.

It still escapes from contaminated grain, bird-seed,

wild flower  mixtures, and wool shoddy.

Description

Fodder Vetch is an  annual or biennial, nitrogen-fixing,

scrambling and climbing herb, growing up to 2m.

Up to 20 flowers are on extended stems.

Individual flowers are up to 2cm and various shades

of purple and blue. They turn blue on fading.

Pods are flattened and up to 4cm.

Leaves have 4-12 leaflets.

Leaflets are narrow ovals, softly hairy underneath

and with a terminal point.

Tendrils are branched.

Stems are ridged and hairy.