Description: perennial
Place of origin: Eurasia
Urban habitat: commonly found in disturbed sites, particularly in clay and sandy soils; tolerates compacted soil.
Ecological function: disturbance-adapted colonizer of bare ground; forage for cattle; food and habitat for insects and birds; can be beneficial to other plants due to its nitrogen-fixing properties; can control erosion of soils. Due to its vine-like growth habit it can strangle smaller plants.
History: Vicia cracca is found throughout North America, as well as in Hawaii, Greenland and other parts of the world. Its leaves have been used as a tea and seeds roasted or boiled for consumption. The cooked leaves have been used to promote lactation in nursing mother.