Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common vetch
Plant·Vicia sativa
Full sun
Sun
Medium
Water
Moist soil
Drainage
Zones 3–9
Hardiness
Common vetch (Vicia sativa) is a plant. It grows best in full sun and has moderate water needs. It grows well with corn maize, oat and wheat.
Through the year
Out of seasonLeafing outFloweringFruitingDying back
Works well with
from wiki dataWHAT IT NEEDS
Wants full sun
Needs moderate water
Tolerates moist soil, as long as it drains well
Prefers soil pH 6–7.5
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Prefers loam, clay, sandy loam soil
Tolerates some soil compaction
Fixes nitrogen in the soil
Draws up nitrogen from deep in the soil
Adds a lot of organic matter to the soil
Partners with mycorrhizal fungi to boost nutrient uptake
WHAT IT GIVES
Gives mulch biomass (high)
Provides nitrogen
Provides nitrogen
Attracts pollinators
HOW IT GROWS
SIZE & SPACING
Ground cover
Height30–90 cm
Spacing15 cm (min 10 cm)
Root depthMedium
Width30–60 cm
Width figures are rough estimates, the most variable measurement in our data.
AI estimate · accuracy improves as growers contribute corrections.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Propagate by seed
Difficulty
Establishes in about 1 yr
Self-seeds readily on its own
Where this comes from
Parsed11 Sept 2026
ConfidenceNot recorded
Photograph Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0