Vicia americana subsp. americana
American vetch, American Vetch
(c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Vine · Native
Vicia americana subsp. americana (American vetch) is a native California vine in the Fabaceae family, recognized by native perennial status and habitat.
American vetch is a California native perennial found in the California Floristic Province and Great Basin regions in open, moist forests and along streams at elevations below 2,400 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces blue-purple to lavender flowers in clusters of 3 to 9 blooms, each flower 15 to 25 millimeters long. Growing with sprawling or short erect stems up to one meter tall, the plant has a delicate, climbing habit. Its compound leaves feature 8 to 16 leaflets, each widely elliptic or wedge-shaped, measuring 1 to 3.5 centimeters long with acute or notched tips. The fruit is a pod 2.5 to 3 centimeters long, which can be either glabrous or slightly hairy.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 17 sympatric species; distinguished by native perennial status and habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Generally open, moist forest, along streams, disturbed areas
Elevation: < 2400 m
California counties: Inyo, Kern, Tuolumne, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tulare, Mono, Napa, Orange, Riverside, Alpine, Placer, Marin, Sierra, Siskiyou, Shasta, Modoc, Butte, Tehama, Mendocino, Fresno, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Trinity, Madera, Ventura, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Calaveras, El Dorado, Sonoma, Mariposa, Solano, Lake, Lassen, Colusa, Nevada, Yolo, Alameda, Amador, Monterey
Outside California: North America (except southeastern United States)
Bloom period
Vicia americana subsp. americana blooms Mar-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Lathyrus: Vicia style is round and hairy all around; Lathyrus style is flattened with hairs only on top.; vs Astragalus: Vicia has tendrils at leaf tips; Astragalus leaves end in a leaflet with no tendril.; vs Pisum: Vicia has many leaflets and tiny stipules; Pisum has 4-6 leaflets and giant stipules.; vs Salvia: Vicia has pea flowers and tendril-tipped leaves; Salvia has tubular two-lipped flowers and simple leaves.; vs Lupinus: Vicia has tendril-tipped pinnate leaves; Lupinus has palmate leaves radiating from one point.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vicia americana subsp. americana native to California?
Yes. Vicia americana subsp. americana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Vicia americana subsp. americana bloom?
Vicia americana subsp. americana blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Vicia americana subsp. americana grow?
Vicia americana subsp. americana occurs in Inyo, Kern, Tuolumne, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tulare, Mono and other counties, at elevations of < 2400 m.
What plant family does Vicia americana subsp. americana belong to?
Vicia americana subsp. americana is in the Fabaceae family, genus Vicia.
What habitat does Vicia americana subsp. americana grow in?
Vicia americana subsp. americana grows in Generally open, moist forest, along streams, disturbed areas.
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.