Common Vetch - Vicia sativa
Medium to tall clambering, hairy plant. Tendrils are sometimes unbranched. Stipules toothed, with a dark spot near the base. Flowers pink to dark reddish purple, with paler wings 18 to 30 mm long, solitary or two together.
Sub-species nigra has flowers that are uniformly coloured, and with the leaflets of upper leaves much narrower than lower.
Sub-species sativa (the form cultivated for fodder) has seed-pods constricted between the seeds, and the pods are usually hairy and yellowish to brown.
Bush Vetch has more purplish flowers which turn blue as they age and also has leaves that a wider near the base and slightly pear-shaped.
Calyx teeth more or less equal in length (Bush Vetch has unequal calyx teeth)
Grassy habitats, meadows, roadside verges.
April to September.
Annual.
Common throughout most of Britain.
Very common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 458 of the 617 tetrads.
Graham Calow
Near Stanton Lakes, Stoney Stanton
25 September 2014
Graham Calow
Sapcote, Leicester Road
05 June 2019
Sub species nigra - specimen examined
David Nicholls
Evington Park
25 May 2012
Graham Calow
Sapcote, Leicester Road
05 June 2019
Sub species nigra - specimen examined
David Nicholls
Croft
09 May 2014 Fosse Meadows (Taken 17.9.2008).JPG)
Graham Calow
Fosse Meadows, Sharnford
17 September 2008
David Nicholls
Croft Pasture
09 May 2014
Paul Ruddoch
Melton Country Park
05 May 2015
 Fosse Meadows (Taken 17.9.2008).JPG)
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Species profile
- Common names
- Common Vetch
- Species group:
- Wildflowers
- Kingdom:
- Plantae
- Order:
- Fabales
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 368
- First record:
- 27/05/2000 (MBNHS;Steve Woodward)
- Last record:
- 11/06/2025 (Nicholls, David)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
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Latest records
Graham Calow
Sapcote, Leicester Road
05 June 2019
Sub species nigra - specimen examined
Graham Calow
Sapcote, Leicester Road
05 June 2019
Sub species nigra - specimen examined
Lowest leaflets relatively broad, upper leaflets much narrower with no intermediates
David Nicholls
Bagworth Heath
19 May 2011
Barbara Cooper
Holwell Nature Reserve
17 May 2012
David Nicholls
Evington Park
25 May 2012
HAPeacock
Leicester Garden
04 June 2012
Vetch Aphid
The Vetch Aphid (Megoura viciae) feeds on various species of vetch. The leaves at the tip of the shoot become crumpled and may be true galls. It is a large shiny green globular bodied aphid with black head, legs and antennae. It also has startling red eyes.
Liriomyza congesta
The larva of the Agromyzid fly Liriomyza congesta mines the leaves of various Legumes such as Peas, Medicks, Lucernes and Vetches. The mine is on the upper surface of the leaf and the frass shows in a green strips.
Dasineura viciae
The larvae of the midge Dasineura viciae cause galls to form on Common Vetch (Vicia sativa) and Bush Vetch (Vicia sepium) The leaflets swell to form pod like galls which may form dense clusters ranging in colour from green to red. The swollen areas contain small larvae which are pale orange or pale lemon in colour.
Megourella tribulis
The aphid Megourella tribulis is usually associated with vetch plants. This small aphid is mainly black with a blue-grey bloom on part of its body