Smooth Vetch Vicia villosa
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- VIK-ee-uh vil-OH-suh
- Description
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Hairy vetch is a winter annual weed in the Fabaceae (bean) family often grown as a cover crop or used as animal fodder. Colonies are typically found growing along river banks, meadows, prairies, shoulders of highways overpasses, along roads, edge of croplands, and in abandoned fields, and well as other disturbed and undisturbed areas. Its invasive tendencies lead it to compete with native plants and with planted cropland. It uses other plants for support, affecting those plants' health.
The hairy racemes of showy flowers reach lengths of 6". They develop from the axils of the leaves. The 5 to 20 pairs of drooping flowers will appear on one side of the raceme. Each flower will have 5 petals, with the flaring upper petal being a darker color than the others. Typically, blooming takes place over a 1 to 2 month period in early to late summer. However, a later bloom period is not uncommon.
The stems are weak. They cannot support their own weight without taking advantage of surrounding plants. Once a colony is established, attempting to walk through the area, one will encounter a tangled mass of stems.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This aggressive, weedy, plant can cause issues for croplands. Competition for space can endanger more desirable native plants. Can be poisonous to poultry and mammals. It is listed as an invasive plant in Oregon.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Vicia
- Species:
- villosa
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Biennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Canary Islands, Africa, Europe, Western Asia
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- Long-tongued bees and bumblebees are attracted to the nectar of the flowers. Caterpillars of moths and butterflies feed on the plants flowers, foliage and seeds. Wild game birds will sometimes eat the seeds.
- Climbing Method:
- Clinging
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Weed
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Fine
- Appendage:
- Tendrils
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Its fruit is a flattened pea pod of up to 2". The pod will contain round seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Lipped
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- fused petals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Violet blue to pink flowers on slender racemes. Each 6" racemes can have 5 to 20 pairs of flowers that hang in a nodding position.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Oblanceolate
- Oblong
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Alternate pinnately compound leaves. The whole leaf is 10" long and 2" across, the leaflets are in pairs of 8-12 and are 1" long and 1/4" across and oblong to oblanceolate entire margins. The central stalk of each leaf has white hairs in a spreading pattern.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- 3 to 10, ridged rounded stems with white hairs. They are vining, multi-branched and sprawling.
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Landscape:
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Pollinators
- Problems:
- Weedy