Lucas Land
American or Purple Vetch
Vicia americana
From Nearctica
Identification: Plant a climbing vine. Flowers with red-purple or violet upper petals (standard) and white lower petals. Flowers arranged in a loose raceme of 3 to 8 flowers. Stems smooth. Leaves divided into 4 to 9 pairs of opposite leaflet and an apical tendril. Leaflets pointed, not indented, at the tip.
Distribution: Canada southward to Illinois in the west and Virginia in the east. Also occurs throughout most of western North America.
Habitat: Purple Vetch is found in meadows and along the shores of ponds and lakes.
Flowering period: May to July.