Plant Details

Vicia cracca

Tufted Vetch, Bird vetch, Cow vetch

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Common names

47 names · 37 languages
EnglishYour language
Other languages (36)
Dutch
  • Vogelwikke[1]
French
  • Vesce craque[1]
  • Vesce jargeau[1]
Arabic
  • بيقية معنقدة[1]
Belarusian
  • Гарошак мышыны[1]
Catalan
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 广布野豌豆[1]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 多花野豌豆[1]
Croatian
  • Ptičja grahorica[1]
Czech
  • vikev ptačí[1]
Danish
Eastern Mari
  • коракпурса[1]
Estonian
  • harilik hiirehernes[1]
Faroese
  • skrykkjukrøkja[1]
Finnish
  • hiirenvirna[1]
German
  • Vogelwicke[1]
Greek
  • Καβαλαριά[1]
Hungarian
  • kaszanyűg bükköny[1]
  • kaszanyűgbükköny[1]
Icelandic
  • Umfeðmingur[1]
Irish
  • Peasair na luch[1]
Italian
  • Veccia montanina[1]
Japanese
  • ガーデンベッチ[1]
  • クサフジ[1]
  • ケクサフジ[1]
Korean
  • 등갈퀴나물[1]
Latvian
  • Vanagu vīķis[1]
Lithuanian
  • Mėlynžiedis vikis[1]
Mongolian
  • Хулганын гиш[1]
Norwegian
  • fuglevikke[1]
Polish
  • Więzołka[1]
  • Wyka ptasia[1]
Romanian
  • Măzăriche[1]
Russian
  • Горошек мышиный[1]
Slovak
  • vika vtáčia[1]
Slovenian
  • ptičja grašica[1]
Spanish
  • arveja silvestre[1]
Swedish
  • Kråkvicker[1]
Turkish
  • Aralık Bitkisi[1]
  • Kuş Fiği[1]
  • kuşfiği[1]
Ukrainian
  • Горошок мишачий[1]
Welsh
  • Ffacbysen y berth[1]
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] Vicia cracca — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

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

Source records
  • tufted vetch — results[2].names[1]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • bird vetch — results[2].names[2]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Cow Vetch — results[2].names[3]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Vogelwicke — results[2].names[5]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • hiirenvirna — results[2].names[6]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Vesce craque — results[2].names[7]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Kråkvicker — results[2].names[8]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Wyka ptasia — results[2].names[9]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Więzołka — results[2].names[10]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Vogelwikke — results[2].names[11]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • vikev ptačí — results[2].names[12]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • クサフジ — results[2].names[13]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Muse-vikke — results[2].names[14]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • fuglevikke — results[2].names[15]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • 多花野豌豆 — results[2].names[16]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • arveja silvestre — results[2].names[17]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Горошек мышиный — results[2].names[18]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • harilik hiirehernes — results[2].names[19]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Mėlynžiedis vikis — results[2].names[20]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Veccia montanina — results[2].names[21]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • ガーデンベッチ — results[2].names[22]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • ケクサフジ — results[2].names[23]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Musevikke — results[2].names[24]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • vika vtáčia — results[2].names[25]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Καβαλαριά — results[2].names[26]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • 广布野豌豆 — results[2].names[27]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Peasair na luch — results[2].names[28]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • garlanda — results[2].names[29]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Хулганын гиш — results[2].names[30]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • skrykkjukrøkja — results[2].names[31]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Горошок мишачий — results[2].names[32]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Гарошак мышыны — results[2].names[33]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • ptičja grašica — results[2].names[34]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • kaszanyűgbükköny — results[2].names[35]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Vanagu vīķis — results[2].names[36]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Umfeðmingur — results[2].names[37]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • коракпурса — results[2].names[38]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • بيقية معنقدة — results[2].names[39]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • kaszanyűg bükköny — results[2].names[40]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • kuşfiği — results[2].names[41]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • 등갈퀴나물 — results[2].names[42]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Vesce jargeau — results[2].names[43]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Ptičja grahorica — results[2].names[44]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Ffacbysen y berth — results[2].names[45]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Măzăriche — results[2].names[46]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Aralık Bitkisi — results[2].names[47]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.
  • Kuş Fiği — results[2].names[48]; taxon id 52471; Vicia cracca.

General information

Scientific name: Vicia cracca
Accepted name (Kew): Vicia cracca L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Fabaceae

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

Sources [1]
Also known as: Tufted Vetch, Bird vetch, Cow vetch
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Climber
Catalogue size class: Medium
Height: 1.80 m
Spread: - m
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Deciduous

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4-8
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Partial shade, Full sun

Uses

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

Description

Seeds can be boiled or roasted. The leaves and young stems can also be boiled and used as a vegetable. Additionally, the leaves serve as a substitute for tea.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/07
Harvest ends: 30/09

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 178871; name ID 2452522; Vicia L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 177814; name ID 2452117; Vicia cracca L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Vicia cracca

    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 1463114, ID 5BCMF: Vicia cracca L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .