Bird Vetch
Vicia cracca
The original uploader was Sannse at English Wikipedia.
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Vicia
- Species:
- Vicia cracca
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Vine
- Height:
- 3-4 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may, jun, aug
- Bloom Colors:
- blue, purple
Native Range
United States: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming, Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Anaplectoides pressus, Euagrotis illapsa, Eversmann's rustic (Actebia fennica), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Reverdin's blue (Lycaeides argyrognomon), Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), Black and gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus), Black and gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus), Bombus bimaculatus (Bombus bimaculatus), Bombus bimaculatus (Bombus bimaculatus), Bombus perplexus (Bombus perplexus), Bombus perplexus (Bombus perplexus), Bombus ternarius (Bombus ternarius), Bombus ternarius (Bombus ternarius), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), bumblebee (Bombus Latreille), bumblebee (Bombus Latreille), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Northern amber bumble bee (Bombus borealis), Northern amber bumble bee (Bombus borealis), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow-banded bumble bee (Bombus terricola), Yellow-banded bumble bee (Bombus terricola)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Common in meadows and grasslands; prefers nitrogen-rich soils