Vicia villosa
| Vicia villosa | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 6' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Vicia villosa (common name: large russian 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].
Cultivated for its edible seed in N. and C. Europe[2].
This species is not very deep rooting[3].
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: C. and S. Europe. W. Asia and N. Africa. Naturalized in Britain[4].
Habitat: Cultivated land and waste places, avoiding acid soils and shady positions[4].
Edibility: Seed[2]. No more details are given.
Used as a vegetable[5]. No more details are given.
Usage: Used as a spring or autumn sown green manure. The seed can be sown in September to overwinter, or as late as October for a greenhouse green manure[3].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: There is some evidence that the seed may be toxic but this has only been shown under laboratory conditions, there are no recorded cases of poisoning by this plant in Britain[6].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Woodward, L and P Burge. Green Manures. Elm Farm Research Centre, 1982.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.