Crown Vetch Seed, 20 Lbs.

Seeding rate: 10 Lbs. per Acre (1 lb. per 4000 Sq.ft.). Features include a creeping, spreading growth habit; compound leaves with 15 to 25 oblong leaflets per leaf; and clusters of pea‑like, pinkish-white flowers that bloom from May through August. Crown vetch (Coronilla varia) is a perennial, herbaceous member of the pea/legume family. Native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa, it was introduced into the United States in the 1950s primarily for erosion control. Since then it has also been used as livestock forage, green fertilizer and an ornamental ground cover. Now naturalized across most of the U.S. (absent in only four states), crown vetch is commonly planted along roadsides and other rights-of-way to stabilize slopes and prevent soil loss. It is frequently encountered in disturbed sites, open fields, waste areas and gravel bars beside streams. Crown vetch is adaptable to a range of conditions, growing in soils from dry to moist, but it prefers sunny, open locations and does not tolerate full shade. Plants form large clumps via creeping stems 2 to 6 feet long and by rhizomes that can extend up to 10 feet, allowing rapid vegetative spread. Leaves are compound with 15 to 25 (always an odd number) oblong leaflets measuring 1 to 2 inches long. Flowers occur in terminal clusters on long stalks and develop into long, narrow, flattened pods containing slender seeds. Reproduction is prolific: seeds form abundantly and a persistent seed bank can remain viable for up to 15 years. Not available for purchase in Wisconsin.