Pollinator plant

Sainfoin

Onobrychis viciifolia

Linked agroforestry plant data
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Common names

32 names · 26 languages
EnglishYour language
Other languages (25)
Dutch
French
  • Esparcette
  • Esparcette cultivée[1][2]
  • Esparcette à feuilles de vesce[1][2]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
Catalan
  • Trepadella[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
Czech
  • vičenec ligrus[2]
Danish
  • Foder-esparsette[2]
Estonian
  • harilik esparsett[2]
Finnish
  • rehuesparsetti[2]
German
Hungarian
  • takarmánybaltacim[2]
Italian
Japanese
  • イガマメ[2]
Lithuanian
  • Sėjamasis esparcetas[2]
Norwegian
Polish
  • Sparceta siewna[2]
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
  • Эспарцет виколистный[2]
  • Эспарцет горошколистный[2]
Slovak
  • vičenec vikolistý[2]
Slovenian
  • navadna turška detelja[2]
Spanish
Swedish
Turkish
Ukrainian
  • Еспарцет сійний (Еспарцет виколистий)[2]
Welsh
Sources & name notes (2)

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. This is a common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Sainfoin — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Esparcette — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Saat-Esparsette — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Sanfoin — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • esparceta — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Pipirigallo — results[0].names[16]; 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.
  • Sainfoin cultivé — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • lupinella — results[0].names[0]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Sanfeno-forrageiro — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
[2] Onobrychis viciifolia — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

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

Source records
  • Sainfoin — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Esparcette — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Saat-Esparsette — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Sanfoin — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • esparceta — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Pipirigallo — results[0].names[16]; 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.
  • Sainfoin cultivé — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • lupinella — results[0].names[0]; taxon id 55441; Onobrychis viciifolia.
  • Sanfeno-forrageiro — results[0].names[14]; 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.
  • 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.
  • Sėjamasis esparcetas — results[0].names[15]; 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.
  • 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.
Plant references

Source-backed information

Published observations for this plant. Each reference supports the information beside it.

Taxonomy
Onobrychis viciifolia is an accepted species in Catalogue of Life.

Taxonomic treatment in the August 2026 release; the catalogue record name is preserved.

Sources [1]
Botanical family
Fabaceae

Family in the cited taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Native range
C. & SE. Europe.

Explicit native locality records in Kew WCVP v16; introduced and doubtful distributions excluded. Continent conversion follows the documented geographic mapping.

Sources [2]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

High suitability
Nectar value High
Pollen value High
Agroforestry database

Complete plant information

Open full plant profile

Structure

Vegetation layer
Herbaceous
Size
Small
Dimensions
1.00 m high × 0.00 m wide
Lifecycle
Perennial

Site conditions

USDA hardiness
5-9
Moisture
Moist
Soil
Sandy, Loamy
pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Light
Sun

Uses

Edible parts
Leaves
Functions
Nitrogen fixer
Edibility
1 out of 5
Medicinal value
0 out of 5

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

Sources and references

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

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Onobrychis viciifolia — Catalogue of Life COL26.8

    COL26.8 (2026-08-20). Contributing checklist: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): Fabaceae. This is taxonomic evidence, not an independent ecological study.

    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: NameUsage.tsv line 807351; ID 49L68; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 807351; ID 49L68; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Onobrychis viciifolia — Kew WCVP native distribution

    Native distribution and taxonomic treatment from the official WCVP v16 export (4 June 2026). The link opens the corresponding POWO taxon. Source rows are retained in the native-range audit archive.

    Supports: Native range
    Relevant sections
    • Native range: WCVP v16; wcvp_names.csv lines 107627; wcvp_distribution.csv native locality lines 822955, 822957, 822958, 822959, 822963, 822967, 822968, 822970, 822971

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.