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.

From Seattle Times

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

From Scientific American

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

From Washington Post

“It looks like hairy vetch, but it may be a mutant. Look, it’s got this odd dependent leaf at the bottom.”

From Literature

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

From Seattle Times