Bitter vetch

Vicia ervilia

Layer 4 · Herbaceous
Nitrogen fixer

Status by region

No restrictions recorded in the lists we checked.

Checked against the European Union list (Regulation 1143/2014) · Portugal's national invasive species list (Decreto-Lei 92/2019).

Information based on the cited sources, not legal advice — always confirm your local rules.

About

Mediterranean annual legume of ancient cultivation, used as fodder and green manure. Fixes nitrogen in the soil in symbiosis with root bacteria and rapidly covers the ground. In the food forest, it occupies the herbaceous layer as a cover and nitrogen-fixing crop, improving fertility in poor and dry soils.

See which trees bitter vetch grows well with

These trees share this species' soil and climate — the pairing is inferred from conditions, not from a guild we have already seen.

No account needed.

Needs

Water: Low
Light: Full sun
Size: Annual herbaceous up to 0.6 m
Mature diameter: 0.3 m
Soils: Clay, Loam, Sandy, Limestone
Climates: Hot, dry Mediterranean, Inland / Continental

Calendar

January
February — Planting
March — Planting
April
May — Harvest
June — Harvest
July — Harvest
August
September
October — Planting
November — Planting
December

Harvest
Planting

Medicinal use: Historically, the seeds were used for human consumption during periods of scarcity, requiring prolonged soaking and cooking to remove their toxicity.

Where to buy

Central trees worth considering

May work well together — same soil and climate, complementary layers. We have not seen this combination in a generated guild yet.

May grow well with

Suggestions worked out from growing conditions — same soil and climate, complementary layers and functions. These are not observed guilds; treat them as a starting point to try on your own land.