About Vicia americana Muhl. ex Willd.
Vicia americana Muhl. ex Willd., also called American vetch, is a climbing perennial forb that grows from both a taproot and a rhizome. Its leaves are divided into oblong leaflets, and each leaf has a tendril that enables climbing. This species produces showy, pea-like flowers in shades of lavender and fuchsia. Its fruit is a hairless, flat pod around 3 centimeters long, which usually contains two light brown peas. American vetch is widespread across North America. It is a common understory plant in many types of forest and other habitats like chaparral, and provides forage for both wild and domesticated animals. This vetch is used to reclaim burned or disturbed land, including areas cleared by wildfire or altered by human activities such as mining or construction. It is drought-tolerant, and thrives in both dry and moist conditions, and in sandy or coarse loamy soils.
