Woolly Pod Vetch

Vicia villosa ssp. varia

Formerly Vicia dasycarpa. Vining, nitrogen-fixing winter annual or short-lived perennial legume with pink-purple flowers. Adapted to a wide range of well-drained soils; tolerant of moderately acidic and alkaline soils. Not as cold or drought tolerant as Hairy vetch (V. villosa). Faster growing, earlier maturing and more productive than hairy vetch; better climbing ability. Use for hay, pasture, silage or green manure. Highly palatable and nutritious. Often seeded with annual forage grasses to reduce lodging and improve hay quality. Also use as a self-perpetuating cover crop and in agricultural rotations. Able to smother weeds, including noxious species such as yellow starthistle and medusahead. Valuable seed and nesting cover to doves, pheasants, quail and pigeons. Attracts numerous pollinators and beneficial insects. May become weedy, invading nearby areas; till, cut or graze before seed-set where necessary.