North Carolina Wildflowers

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Fabaceae > Vicia (vetch)

Wood Vetch, Carolina Vetch (Vicia caroliniana) Wood Vetch, Carolina Vetch (Vicia caroliniana)
Clay Co., NC
14 May 2008

Statewide and fairly common in North Carolina. It is reported to be the caterpillar foodplant for Silvery Blue butterflies, which, in NC, fly only in the mountains.

Wood Vetch, Carolina Vetch (Vicia caroliniana) Wood Vetch, Carolina Vetch (Vicia caroliniana)
Clay Co., NC
19 May 2007
Wood Vetch, Carolina Vetch (Vicia caroliniana) Wood Vetch, Carolina Vetch (Vicia caroliniana)
Clay Co., NC
19 May 2007
Wood Vetch, Carolina Vetch (Vicia caroliniana) Wood Vetch, Carolina Vetch (Vicia caroliniana)
Clay Co., NC
19 May 2007

Cow Vetch, Tufted Vetch, Canada-pea (Vicia cracca) Cow Vetch, Tufted Vetch, Canada-pea (Vicia cracca)
Lubec Twp., Washington Co., ME
6 July 2011

Native to Europe, this exotic invasive is rare in the NC mountains.


Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa)
Orange Co., NC
30 May 2008

Introduced from Europe, this weedy, but pretty vetch is common statewide in NC in fields and disturbed habitats.

Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa)
Orange Co., NC
30 May 2008

Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa)
Orange Co., NC
30 May 2008

Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa)
Orange Co., NC
30 May 2008


Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Common names from personal experience and supplemented by the following resources USDA plants website, Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and NatureServe.


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Created on ... June 10, 2008 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com