American Vetch
Vicia americana
- Native to:
- Canada, Mexico, United States
Matt Lavin (www.flickr.com) from Bozeman, Montana, USA
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Vicia
- Species:
- Vicia americana
- USDA Symbol:
- VIAM
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Vine
- Height:
- 120 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, violet, pink
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★★☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Mirificarma eburnella, omnivorous leaftier (Cnephasia longana), Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice), Mead's Sulphur (Colias meadii), Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Queen Alexandra's Sulphur (Colias alexandra), Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus), Western Tailed-Blue (Everes amyntula)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, birds, small mammals
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from rhizomes following fire. Common in prairie and grassland ecosystems with periodic fire.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- prefers open areas with good sunlight exposure
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Scarification of hard seed coat improves germination. Cold stratification beneficial but not always required after scarification.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds need to be scarified with coarse grit sandpaper for 60-90 seconds until seed coat abrasion and chipping is observed under a microscope.
Establishment: The highest average germination was obtained under the 4/19° C (39.2/66.2°F) temperature regime, corresponding to average temperatures in May. The seeds per pound for this ecotype is approximately 22,200.
Source: npn.rngr.net