Cow Vetch,
Tufted Vetch
Vicia cracca
Family Leguminosae

Characteristics:
* Flowers violet-blue, small, with many clustered on long-stalked one-sided spikes.
* Leaves compound with 8-12 pairs of narrow, oval-shaped, opposite leaflets.
* Stem and leaves velvety-hairy.
* Height: 2-3'.

Natural History:
* Flowers May - August.
* Habitat: Fields and thickets.
* Range: Southern Canada, south to Virginia.
* Introduced from Europe.

Connections!
* The sweet nectar of cow vetch is enjoyed by bees and butterflies.

* Vetch is in the bean family; its flowers look similar to pea and bean flowers, it produces pods, and it behaves like a bean or pea plant as it grows. When a vetch tendril comes in contact with another plant, it curls around it for support and continues to grow upward and outward.