hairy vetch

noun

1. a plant, Vicia villosa, of the legume family, native to Eurasia, having hairy stems and violet and white flowers, widely grown as forage and as a cover crop.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hairy vetch¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Most are easy to manage, but the robust grower hairy vetch can be tougher to cut and may grow back from the base.

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Another is cover cropping, which involves planting crops such as oats or hairy vetch during the winter so fields never lay bare and exposed.

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Common choices include buckwheat, annual rye, hairy vetch and clovers, and they can be used in no-till gardens or in conventional ones.

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The plant is, on first inspection, a common member of the lowly pasture Vicia villosa, also known as hairy vetch.

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Common choices include grasses and legumes such as hairy vetch and clover.

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