Vicia faba
Fava bean, broad bean, horse bean, Horse Bean
(c) Lies Van Rompaey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Vine · Not Native
Vicia faba (Fava bean) is a non-native California vine in the Fabaceae family, recognized by enormous size and distinctive white flowers with dark markings.
Fava bean is a naturalized annual found in coastal California regions including northern Coast, Sacramento Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, and southern California at elevations below 820 meters in disturbed areas like roadsides and gardens. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces white flowers with distinctive dark blotches on the wings, arranged in small clustered groups. Growing to 0.5 to 2 meters tall with an erect, nearly hairless stem, it develops a robust and upright habit. Its leaves feature 4 to 6 elliptic to narrowly ovate leaflets measuring 5 to 12 centimeters long, with toothed or cut stipules. The fruit develops as a long cylindrical pod 5 to 25 centimeters in length and 1 to 2 centimeters wide, often slightly constricted between seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 15 sympatric species; enormous size and distinctive white flowers with dark markings
Habitat and range
Habitat: Roadsides, garden escape
Elevation: < 820 m
California counties: Ventura, San Francisco, Butte, Santa Barbara, Orange, Alameda, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Humboldt, San Diego, Santa Clara, Yolo
Outside California: sporadic to eastern North America, origin unknown, native to Eurasia and/or northern Africa
Bloom period
Vicia faba 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 faba native to California?
No. Vicia faba is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Vicia faba bloom?
Vicia faba blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Vicia faba grow?
Vicia faba occurs in Ventura, San Francisco, Butte, Santa Barbara, Orange, Alameda, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo and other counties, at elevations of < 820 m.
What plant family does Vicia faba belong to?
Vicia faba is in the Fabaceae family, genus Vicia.
What habitat does Vicia faba grow in?
Vicia faba grows in Roadsides, garden escape.
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.