Plant Details

Onobrychis viciifolia

Sainfoin

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Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Onobrychis viciifolia.

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Common names

32 names · 26 languages
EnglishYour language
Other languages (25)
Dutch
  • Esparcette[1]
French
  • Esparcette
  • Esparcette cultivée[1]
  • Esparcette à feuilles de vesce[1]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • Sainfoin cultivé[1]
Catalan
  • Trepadella[1]
Chinese (Simplified)
Czech
  • vičenec ligrus[1]
Danish
  • Foder-esparsette[1]
Estonian
  • harilik esparsett[1]
Finnish
  • rehuesparsetti[1]
German
  • Saat-Esparsette[1]
Hungarian
  • takarmánybaltacim[1]
Italian
Japanese
  • イガマメ[1]
Lithuanian
  • Sėjamasis esparcetas[1]
Norwegian
Polish
  • Sparceta siewna[1]
Portuguese
  • Sanfeno-forrageiro[1]
Romanian
Russian
  • Эспарцет виколистный[1]
  • Эспарцет горошколистный[1]
Slovak
  • vičenec vikolistý[1]
Slovenian
  • navadna turška detelja[1]
Spanish
Swedish
Turkish
Ukrainian
  • Еспарцет сійний (Еспарцет виколистий)[1]
Welsh
Sources & name notes (1)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Onobrychis viciifolia — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • lupinella — results[0].names[0]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Sainfoin — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Saat-Esparsette — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Sainfoin cultivé — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Esparcette cultivée — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Esparcette à feuilles de vesce — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • vičenec ligrus — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Foder-esparsette — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • esparceta — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Esparcette — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • esparsett — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Эспарцет виколистный — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • rehuesparsetti — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Sanfeno-forrageiro — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Sėjamasis esparcetas — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Pipirigallo — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Trepadella — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • イガマメ — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • harilik esparsett — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • 驴食草 — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • esparsett — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Еспарцет сійний (Еспарцет виколистий) — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Sanfoin — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Sparceta siewna — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • navadna turška detelja — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • takarmánybaltacim — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • korunga — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • vičenec vikolistý — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Y godog — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Sparcetă — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Эспарцет горошколистный — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.

General information

Scientific name: Onobrychis viciifolia
Accepted name (Kew): Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Fabaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Onobrychis (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Sainfoin
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 1.00 m
Spread: - m
Growth rate: None
Foliage: None

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 5-9
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium)
pH:
Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves
Edibility rating:
(1)
Medicinal rating:
(0)
Functions:
Nitrogen fixer

Description

One report states that the plant is edible, but it does not specify which particular part of the plant can be consumed.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 15/05
Harvest ends: 15/09

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 106030; name ID 2389110; Onobrychis Mill.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 107627; name ID 2389633; Onobrychis viciifolia Scop..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Onobrychis viciifolia

    Taxonomic data from WCVP-Fabaceae, version 2026, v.7, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. This shares the Kew WCVP evidence base cited on this page.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 807351, ID 49L68: Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. (accepted).

    Source checked on .