Tufted vetch.

At a glance

Care level

Easy

Plant type

herbaceous perennial

Light

full sun

Indoor light

Direct sun

Water

Every 5 to 10 days

Mature size

3 to 6 feet

Growth rate

Fast

Hardiness

USDA 3 to 9

Bloom time

Early to late summer

Care

Give this plant plenty of space to climb or sprawl, as it loves to scramble over nearby structures. Watch for yellowing leaves, which often signal that the soil is staying too wet for too long. It's quite resilient and doesn't need much fussing once it gets established.

Watering

Keep the soil consistently moist but never soggy.

Feeding

A light application of balanced fertilizer in spring is plenty.

Pruning

Trim back dead stems in late autumn to keep the area tidy.

Repotting

Repot only if the plant becomes root bound in its container.

Soil

well draining, loamy soil

Soil pH

6.0 to 7.5

Temperature

-30 to 30°C

Humidity

40 to 70%

Safety

People

The plant is generally considered mildly toxic if ingested in large amounts due to lathyrism-inducing compounds.

Pets

This plant is generally considered safe for pets, but it's best to keep them from snacking on large quantities.

Children

The small seeds could pose a choking hazard to small children if ingested.

Contact allergens

Handling the foliage may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

Airborne allergens

Pollen can be a minor irritant for those with severe hay fever.

Edibility

Seeds should not be consumed in large quantities as they contain compounds that can be harmful if ingested raw.

How to identify it

• pinnately compound leaves with tendrils
• dense clusters of violet flowers
• slender, vining stems
• small, flattened seed pods

Height

0.6 to 1.2m

Spread

0.3 to 0.6m

Leaves

green, deciduous

Flowers

blue, purple, violet, 1 to 1.5cm

Fruit

brown, black, Late summer to autumn

Problems to watch for

• AphidsCommon
• Powdery MildewCommon
• RustUncommon
• Slugs and SnailsUncommon

Growing it

Propagation

seed

When to plant

spring, autumn

Plant this vetch near grasses that can support its climbing habit without being completely smothered.

Grows well with

• Meadow fescue · Provides a sturdy structure for the vetch to climb.
• Oxeye daisy · Complements the vetch with contrasting white flowers.

Similar species

• Common vetch · Has larger flowers and different leaf shapes.
• Bush vetch · Blooms earlier and has a more compact growth habit.

Science

Family

Fabaceae

Genus

Vicia

Order

Fabales

Class

Magnoliopsida

Native range

Europe and temperate Asia.

Conservation

It is a common and widespread species with no special conservation status.

It thrives in open grasslands and along roadsides by outcompeting shorter plants through its climbing habit.

Value to wildlife

nectar source, larval host plant

Pollinators

bees, butterflies

Uses

cover crop, nitrogen fixer, ornamental meadow plant, pollinator habitat

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Is tufted vetch invasive?

It can be aggressive in some gardens due to its vigorous growth and rhizomes.

Does it need support?

Yes, it prefers to climb over other plants or structures using its tendrils.

Where the name comes from

Vicia is the classical Latin name for vetch, while cracca refers to a type of climbing plant mentioned by ancient writers.

Good to know

• It is known as tufted vetch because of its dense, brush-like flower clusters.
• This plant fixes nitrogen in the soil, which helps neighboring plants grow better.
• It is a hardy perennial that can survive very cold winters.
• The flowers are a favorite of bumblebees.