Hairy Vetch

Hairy Vetch

Vicia villosa Roth

Fabaceae (Legume Family)

▲ ▼ flowering plants

▲ ▼ field of vetch, including some on barb-wire fence

▲ ▼ flowers

▲ leaf showing tendril at tip

▲ seed pods

Hairy Vetch:

has climbing growth habit, with tendrils at the end of pinnately compound leaves
hairy vetch is most common in southwest Missouri--has hairy stems & purple flowers in axillary racemes; a winter annual, biennial or perennial weed
prefer well-drained, sandy soils
can be used as a forage crop, cover crop or green manure crop, but also can be a weed of agronomic crops (particularly winter annual crops), vegetable crops, fruit crops & nursery plant production
also used as a forage, cover-crop, green manure crop or for hay