winter vetch
Vicia villosa · Fabaceae
winter vetch (Vicia villosa) is a perennial vine in the Fabaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 7 and warmer, down to about 7°F.
⚠ Invasive or noxious status. USDA lists this plant with an invasive or noxious weed status somewhere in its range. Check your state's noxious weed list before planting it — in some states it is illegal to sell or plant.
Both flags are quoted from USDA PLANTS, not inferred.
At a glance
| Type | vine Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 1.5 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 6–7.5 USDA |
| Bloom | February USDA |
| Flower color | Purple USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 7 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | climber Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 6 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 7.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 1.5 ft, making it about knee height. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of February. Flowers are purple.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is fall, winter and spring. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 18 to 65 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 100 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 6 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Seed is the only propagation method USDA lists. Division and cuttings are not listed as options. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it highly palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated none. Its growth form is recorded as single crown.
Role in a guild
Climber. In a layered planting this is it uses other plants or structures for vertical support rather than standing on its own. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Vicia
- American vetch Vicia americana
- purple vetch Vicia benghalensis
- bird vetch Vicia cracca
- large yellow vetch Vicia grandiflora
Similar role and hardiness
- confederate jasmine Trachelospermum jasminoides
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol VIVI, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
USDA also lists this plant under symbol VIVIV8, recorded at a finer rank (variety or subspecies) under the same accepted name and common name. We show one entry rather than near-identical repeats; the figures above are those of VIVI alone, not an average across them.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Invasive status, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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