Hairy Vetch

Vicia villosa, known as the hairy vetch, fodder vetch or winter vetch, is a plant native to some of Europe and western Asia. 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, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Washington state — as well as in Japan and some parts of Europe where it is not native. It is also found in most Canadian provinces.

Hairy vetch is very similar to tufted vetch (Vicia cracca), the most noticeable difference being that tufted vetch has a smooth stem.

Several subspecies are recognized:

Vicia villosa ssp. ambigua (Guss.) Kerguelen (= ssp. elegantissima, ssp. pseudocracca)

Vicia villosa ssp. eriocarpa (Hausskn.) P.W.Ball

Vicia villosa ssp. microphylla (d'Urv.) P.W.Ball

Vicia villosa ssp. varia (Host) Corb. (= ssp. dasycarpa)

Vicia villosa ssp. villosa

The species Vicia hirsuta is also called hairy vetch.