American vetch

Vicia americana

Moderate water requirements, full sun to partial shade. Bluish-purple flowers bloom April through July. Excellent palatability for wildlife and all classes of livestock. Native rhizomatous climbing perennial legume with purple flowers, blooming April to August. Very drought tolerant and widely adaptable, occurring in moist to dry soils of forest openings, meadows, shrublands and streambanks; up to 12,000 ft. elevation. Use for habitat restoration, mining reclamation, arid rangelands and roadsides. Increases following fire. Excellent palatability for all wildlife and ungulates. Important for native pollinators, including wild bees. Larval host of the Western blue tailed butterfly.