Vicia unijuga

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Vicia unijuga
Light:Full Sun Part Shade
Moisture:Mesic
Hardiness:7
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Self Pollinated
Height:2'
Width:1'
Blooms:Mid Summer-Late Summer
Native to:
Nitrogen Fixer
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Vicia unijuga (common name: two-leaf vetch)

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].

A very ornamental plant[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].

Range: E. Asia.

Habitat: Thickets and grassy places in lowland and low mountains all over Japan[3].

Edibility: Young plants and leaves - cooked[4][5][6].

Pollinators: Insects

Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.

Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.

Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  2. Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  3. Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
  4. Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
  5. Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
  6. Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.