Tufted Vetch (Non Native Invasive Plant Species in Banff National Park)

Tufted Vetch

Vicia cracca

Summary ⁴

Vicia cracca (tufted vetch, cow vetch, bird vetch, blue vetch, boreal vetch), is a species of vetch native to Europe and Asia. It occurs on other continents as an introduced species, including North America, where it is a common weed. It often occurs in disturbed habitats, including old-fields and roadside ditches.

How to recognize it? ⁵

Pea-like tendrils, climbing habit. 10-50 bright violet flowers on one side of stalk. Compound leaves.

Native lookalike: American vetch (https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/53320-Vicia-americana) has less flowers on both sides of stalk, smaller habit and toothed stipules.

Observations in Banff National Park ⁶

2020-21: https://inaturalist.ca/observations?project_id=69401&taxon_id=52471&place_id=any&verifiable=any
2019-20: https://inaturalist.ca/observations?project_id=38602&taxon_id=52471&place_id=any&verifiable=any

Sources and Credits

(c) V.S. Volkotrub, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by V.S. Volkotrub
(c) Sannse, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tufted_vetch_close_800.jpg
Carl Axel Magnus Lindman , no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:318_Vicia_cracca,_Vicia_villosa.jpg
Adapted by bioblitzbanff from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicia_cracca
(c) bioblitzbanff, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
(c) metallyza, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

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Tufted Vetch

Summary 4

How to recognize it? 5

Observations in Banff National Park 6