Vicia hirsuta
| Vicia hirsuta | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Vicia hirsuta (common name: hairy tare)
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in situ in spring or autumn.
Cultivation: Succeeds in any well-drained soil in a sunny position if the soil is reliably moist throughout the growing season, otherwise it is best grown in semi-shade[1].
Occasionally cultivated for its edible seed which is used as a lentil substitute[2].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia.
Habitat: Grassy places. A common weed of cultivation, avoiding acid soils[3].
Edibility: Seed - cooked[2][4][5]. Used like lentils[2], the seed can be eaten as a staple food[6].
Leaves and stems - cooked[4][5][6]. Used as a vegetable[7]
Pollinators: Bees, lepidoptera, self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.