Oregon Vetch

Biological Name:

Oregon-Vetch – Vicia oreg

Natural Habitat:

Oregon-Vetch: This plant is native to western North America, and can be found in a variety of habitats, including meadows, pastures, and waste areas.

Description:

Oregon-vetch is a type of flowering plant that is commonly found in fields and other grassy areas. It is a member of the Fabaceae family which also includes plants such as beans and peas. Oregon-vetch is an annual or perennial plant that produces small purple or white flowers and clusters of seeds. The plant is often used as a cover crop to improve soil health and suppress weeds. It is also known for its ability to tolerate a wide range of growing conditions including wet or dry soils. In some areas Oregon-vetch is considered a weed because of its ability to invade cultivated areas and cause allergies and other health problems.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is vetch native to Oregon?
A: It is a legume, grown as a forage crop, fodder crop, cover crop, and green manure. Although non-native, it occurs in all US states and is considered invasive by some states, such as Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington state — as well as in Japan and some parts of Europe…
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Q: Is vetch hard to get rid of?
A: The plant is tolerant of many site conditions and grows in sun to part shade and in dry sandy soils to moist clay loams. Vetch has purple flowers and produces green bean-like seed pods. The weed has a tap root that breaks easily, making it difficult to remove when weeding by hand.
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Q: Is vetch good for wildlife?
A: Bees and other small butterfly species such as the brown argus and the skippers also love this flower and the burnet moths lay their eggs on the leaves. In all, fantastic wildlife value in one small plant.
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Q: Is vetch toxic to animals?
A: Animals grazing the green vetch develop a severe granulomatous disease affecting many organs. The seeds of hairy vetch when eaten in quantity by cattle and horses cause nervous signs and death. The seeds of Vicia sativa have been reported to contain cyanide.
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Q: Does vetch come back every year?
A: Tilling the vetch under, letting it decompose and then planting your crop will go one step further by adding organic matter to the soil. Hairy vetch, as a winter annual, will sprout in the fall, overwinter, regrow in spring, go to seed and die.
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Q: What is vetch good for?
A: Often, common vetch is used as a green manure which, when incorporated into the soil, provides valuable carbon, and nitrogen for rotation crops such as wheat and barley.
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Q: Can vetch be eaten?
A: Vetch was once a commonly cultivated plant that fell out of favor over time… more on that in a minute. Most of the plant is edible and some species actually taste decent. Common vetch is one of the better ones. The young shoots are edible raw, but better cooked.
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Q: Is vetch a good ground cover?
A: Crown Vetch (Coronilla varia) – An extremely fast and aggressive plant, Crown vetch produces a quick ground cover for erosion control with white to pink flowers. This legume should be planted for erosion control in certain hard-to-reach areas such as steep, dry, rocky slopes and low fertility soils.
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Q: When should vetch be planted?
A: Irrigation will help germination, particularly if broadcast seeded. Plant vetch 30 to 45 days before killing frost for winter annual management; in early spring for summer growth; or in July if you want to kill or incorporate it in fall or for a winter-killed mulch.
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Q: What is the toughest ground cover?
A: Ivy is one of the toughest, hardiest groundcovers available. Adaptable to almost any condition but dry full sun, it has saved many an “unplantable” area. It can become invasive, especially when seeds are dispersed far and wide by birds.
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Q: What is the difference between hairy vetch and common vetch?
A: Common vetch, Vicia sativa, does not produce as much seed as hairy vetch, posing less of a risk of becoming weedy. However, it is also less winter hardy than hairy vetch. Common vetch has the most vigorous spring growth, producing an abundance of biomass and nitrogen making it an outstanding cover crop.
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Q: Should I pull common vetch?
A: Try to remove it before it goes to seed to keep it from spreading. But this winter annual weed is valuable to some, as it is often used as a cover crop and being a legume, it is forage for livestock and wildlife. Luckily, it can easily be removed by hand.
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Q: Is vetch a good forage?
A: Vetch is also a nitrogen-fixing plant that works well as a cover crop in farming systems. It’s also a good forage for bees and other pollinators and has extra floral nectaries (glands on stems that produce nectar) that attract beneficial insects like parasitoid wasps that prey on pests.
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Q: Is vetch poisonous to dogs?
A: The toxin in hairy vetch responsible for the symptoms is not known. The toxin appears to cause an immune-mediated disease as prior exposure or sensitization is necesary for the disease to develop. Animals grazing the green vetch develop a severe granulomatous disease affecting many organs.
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Q: Does vetch attract bees?
A: Cow vetch is a vibrant plant covered in bright purple, violet and lavender flowers. It can also attract beneficials, pollinators and butterflies.
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Q: Why do farmers grow vetch?
A: Vetch is a well known legume also known as common vetch or tares. It scrambling, smothering growth habit and frost tolerance make it a very useful winter cover crop or green manure. Used as an over-winter green cover and soil improver, it can also be grazed by livestock.
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Q: Is vetch toxic to dogs?
A: The toxin in hairy vetch responsible for the symptoms is not known. The toxin appears to cause an immune-mediated disease as prior exposure or sensitization is necesary for the disease to develop. Animals grazing the green vetch develop a severe granulomatous disease affecting many organs.
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Q: Is vetch good for deer?
A: Hairy vetch is a widely adapted, winter hardy cool-season annual legume that supplies an abundant amount of palatable forage for deer and turkeys and other wildlife in late spring into early summer. It also produces an excellent seed crop that attracts quail and turkey.
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Q: Do bees like vetch?
A: There are many different types of vetch, but hairy vetch and crown vetch are among the two most popular ones for bee-attracting cover crops.
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Q: Is vetch an invasive plant?
A: Range: Crown vetch is native to Europe, Asia and Africa. Since its introduction to the U.S., it has spread throughout the country. It is currently reported as invasive in many states, especially through the center of the country and along the eastern seaboard.
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Q: Is vetch poisonous to humans?
A: The vetches grown as forage are generally toxic to non-ruminants (such as humans), at least if eaten in quantity. Cattle and horses have been poisoned by V. villosa and V. benghalensis, two species that contain canavanine in their seeds.
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About the author

Samuel is a gardening professional and enthusiast who has spent over 20 years advising homeowners and farm owners on weed identification, prevention and removal. He has an undergraduate degree in plant and soil science from Michigan State University.