Vicia cracca

Scientific profile

Vicia cracca is a native perennial climbing plant found in grasslands, hedgerows and scrub across Great Britain. Its stems can reach around 0.6 metres in height, with broad, compound leaves that end in tendrils, enabling it to scramble over other vegetation. The plant flowers from May to July, producing dense, one-sided racemes of bluish-purple pea-like blossoms. It is non-woody and typically inhabits sunny sites with fresh, calcareous to neutral soils of moderate fertility. The seeds are small, with a diaspore mass of about 15 mg, and the leaves have a relatively large surface area of around 700 mm².