Vicia cracca

Tufted vetch, Cow vetch, Bird vetch

Fabaceae Edible: Leaves, Seeds, Pods, Fruit, Flower nectar 88,938 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Vicia cracca (tufted vetch, cow vetch, bird vetch, blue vetch, boreal vetch), is a species of flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is native to Europe and Asia. It occurs on other continents as an introduced species, including North America, where it is a common weed. It often occurs in disturbed habitats, including old fields and roadside ditches.

Description

An annual climbing herb. It is hairy. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. There are 8-24 leaflets and a tendril at the end. The leaflets are 7-15 cm long by 2-8 mm wide. The flowers are pinkish-blue. The pods are flat and oblong. They are 2-4 cm long and with an oblique point at the end. There are 2-5 seeds. They are black.

Edible Uses

Seeds can be eaten cooked — either boiled or roasted. Young leaves and stems are also edible cooked and make a useful potherb. The leaves can be used as a tea substitute.

Traditional Uses

Young stems and leaves are eaten as a potherb. The leaves are used as a substitute for tea. The seeds are eaten boiled or roasted. They are also eaten raw.

Medicinal Uses

The cooked plant is used as a galactogogue to promote milk production.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. In China it lies below 4,200 m above sea level. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zone 6.

Where It Grows

Argentina, Asia, Britain, Central Asia, China, Denmark, Estonia, Europe, Falklands, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Mongolia, North America, Norway, Romania, Russia, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Slovenia, South America, Sweden, Turkey, Türkiye, USA, Vietnam,

Cultivation

Succeeds in any well-drained soil in a sunny position if the soil is reliably moist throughout the growing season, otherwise it is best grown in semi-shade. This species has occasionally been cultivated as a food plant, but yields are too low to make it very worthwhile. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. Growth habit is a single or multiple shooting vine from a crown. Herbaceous.

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water, then sow in situ in spring or autumn.

Other Uses

Can be grown as a green manure. Functions as a dynamic accumulator, drawing minerals and nutrients from the soil into a more bioavailable form useful as fertilizer or mulch improver. Also used in food forest systems as a nitrogen fixer.

Notes

There are about 140 Vicia species. They are mostly temperate.

Also Known As

Dikaia vika, Fuglevikke, Gurul, Hirrehernes, Kurehernes, Kus figi, Liendau, Ptičja grašica, Yeqandoujian

References (24)

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Cerne, M., 1992, Wild Plants from Slovenia used as Vegetables. Acta Horticulturae 318
Ertug, F, Yenen Bitkiler. Resimli Türkiye Florası -I- Flora of Turkey - Ethnobotany supplement
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 112
Girard, N. J., 2020, Sustainable Foraging of Wild Edible Plants in Norway. A Biocultural Approach. M. Sc. thesis Norwegian University. p 131

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