Winter Vetch
Vicia villosa
- Native to:
- Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, East Aegean Is., Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Morocco, North Caucasus, NW. Balkan Pen., Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
No machine-readable author provided. Fabelfroh assumed (based on copyright claims).
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Vicia
- Species:
- Vicia villosa
- USDA Symbol:
- VIVI
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual | Biennial | Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Vine
- Height:
- 180 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun,jul
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, violet, white
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: American bumble (Bombus pensylvanicus), Black and (Bombus auricomus), Bombus californicus, Brown-belted bumble (Bombus griseocollis), Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Common eastern (Bombus impatiens), Confusing bumble (Bombus perplexus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Half-black bumble (Bombus vagans), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Lemon cuckoo (Bombus citrinus), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Northern amber (Bombus borealis), Obscure bumble bee (Bombus caliginosus), Pyrobombus Dalla, Red-belted bumble (Bombus rufocinctus), 🛑Rusty-patched bumble (Bombus affinis), Two-spotted bumble (Bombus bimaculatus), van Dyke bumble bee (Bombus vandykei), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons) Butterflies:⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, birds
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- good drainage preferred
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- commonly found in grasslands and open fields
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Scarification improves germination rates. Seeds may also benefit from inoculation with Rhizobium leguminosarum for nitrogen fixation.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI