Crownvetch, Crown Vetch

Securigera varia (L.) Lassen

(formerly Coronilla varia L.)

Legume Family (Fabaceae)

▲▼ mature flowering plants

▲▼ flowers

▲ leaves

Crownvetch: 

·         Spreading, creeping perennial, rhizome-producing plant native to Eurasia, north Africa in the Legume Family (Fabaceae)

·         Has alternate, pinnately compound, bright green leaves 3-6 inches long, with 9-25 leaflets

·         Leaves lack tendrils at their tips, as is seen in other vetch species (Vicia spp.)

·         Grows about 1-2 feet tall, with trailing stems that can be 3-4 feet long

·         Flowers are pink and white in round clusters, 1-2 inches in diameter in spring through summer; other vetches (Vicia spp.) have solitary, paired or spike inflorescences

·         Was widely planted on roadsides for erosion control and beautification, but has escaped into natural areas, as well