Coronilla varia
Crown vetch, Crown Vetch
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Family: Fabaceae · Type: Vine · Not Native
Coronilla varia (Crown vetch) is a non-native California vine in the Fabaceae family.
Crown vetch is a naturalized perennial found in northern Sierra Nevada and Sacramento Valley regions in disturbed sites, fields, and along roadsides at elevations below 2,200 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white and purple flowers with white wing petals and distinctive purple-tipped keel. Growing as an erect or sprawling vine-like plant up to one meter tall with angled stems, it develops a spreading habit. Its compound leaves feature 11 to 19 obovate to oblong leaflets, each 1 to 2 centimeters long, with dark-tipped stipules. The fruit develops as a linear, longitudinally ridged pod with 3 to 12 segments, generally 2 to 6 centimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species - geographically isolated in SN/ScV bioregions
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed sites, fields, planted as cover along roadsides
Elevation: < 2200 m
Outside California: widely cultivated, established, especially eastern United States, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Coronilla varia blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Acmispon: Coronilla umbels have 10-20 flowers; Acmispon umbels have 1-8 flowers.; vs Ornithopus: Coronilla has 10-20 flowers per cluster; Ornithopus has small few-flowered clusters.; vs Oxytropis: Coronilla flowers in dense 10-20-flowered umbels; Oxytropis in loose spike-like clusters.; vs Astragalus: Coronilla has umbellate clusters, segmented pods; Astragalus has spike clusters, splitting pods.; vs Peteria: Coronilla lacks spines, has large umbels; Peteria has spiny stipules, fewer flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Coronilla varia native to California?
No. Coronilla varia is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Coronilla varia bloom?
Coronilla varia blooms May-Jul.
What plant family does Coronilla varia belong to?
Coronilla varia is in the Fabaceae family, genus Coronilla.
What habitat does Coronilla varia grow in?
Coronilla varia grows in Disturbed sites, fields, planted as cover along roadsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.