Bird Vetch Vicia cracca LinnaeusNon-native  -  Invasive    Synonyms: Cow Vetch, Tufted Vetch.
Kingdom Plantae   >   Division Tracheophyta   >   Class Magnoliopsida   >   Order Fabales   >   Family Fabaceae   >   Genus Vicia   

Status:

Introduced from Eurasia. Commonly found along roadsides and field edges. Typically blooms May through June.

Description:

Purplish flowers in dense, one-side racemes. Compare Winter Vetch.

Relationships:

Host plant for the butterfly Eastern Tailed-Blue.

There are 103 records in the project database.

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Bird Vetch blooming in Dorchester Co., Maryland (5/22/2009). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Bird Vetch in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (5/27/2010). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Bird Vetch in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/18/2011). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Bird Vetch blooming in Kent Co., Maryland (6/7/2014). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Bird Vetch blooming in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/1/2014). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Bird Vetch in Dorchester Co., Maryland (5/4/2017). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Bird Vetch in Caroline Co., Maryland (5/26/2017). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)


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MBP marks as "Invasive" any taxon listed in the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC) list of Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland. You can read their criteria and review the lists here: https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/.