Practical
Plants

Vicia sativa

Winter Tares

an annual member of the Vicia genus in the family Leguminosae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Vicia
Life cycle
annual
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
1.2 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Lepidoptera, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Lepidoptera, Self

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

There is some evidence that the seed may be toxic but this has only been shown under laboratory conditions, there are no recorded cases of poisoning by this plant in Britain[10].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - cooked[8][9]. Not very palatable nor very digestible but it is very nutritious[6][2]. The seed can be dried, ground into a powder and mixed with cereal flour to make bread, biscuits, cakes etc[5]. The beans compliment the protein in the cereal making it more complete[K]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Leaves, young shoots and young pods - cooked[1][4][5]. The leaves are a tea substitute[5].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed
Product or use
Tea

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A very valuable green manure crop, it can be sown in spring or as late as October. A deep rooted and fast growing plant, it is winter hardy, an effective weed suppresser, produces a good bulk and fixes a large amount of nitrogen[11].

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Climber

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia.
Habitat
Hedges and grassy places, avoiding acid soils or shady positions[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow in situ from late winter to early summer and again in the autumn.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in any well-drained soil in a sunny position if the soil is reliably moist throughout the growing season, otherwise it is best grown in semi-shade[7]. The sub-species V. sativa leucosperma. Ser. is the form usually grown for food[9]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[7].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  2. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

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  3. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  8. Sholto-Douglas. J. Alternative Foods.

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  9. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  10. Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984-00-00 ISBN 0112425291

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  11. Woodward. L. Burge. P. Green Manures. Elm Farm Research Centre. 1982-00-00

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