Where & How to Grow Kidney Vetch ( Anthyllis Vulneraria)
We will tell you where and how to grow Kidney Vetch.
Kidney Vetch is a pretty Perennial plant which has large rounded flower-heads. The flowers are generally yellow. If growing near the sea the flowers can sometimes be from cream to crimson. The leaves are pale and silky.
Kidney vetch is recognisable as it has clusters of small, yellow flowers on top of little woolly like cushions. It is common in sand dunes and chalk grassland across the Uk. It flowers from June to September and is a spreading plant.
Kidney vetch has round clusters of flowers that are largely yellow. They can also be orange and red. Each flower has its own hairy calyx which gives the flower cluster a woolly appearance. Kidney vetch leaves are divided into narrow leaflets that are silky and white on the underneath.
It is a very attractive and beneficial plant to wildlife. It is a very rich source of nectar .This brings bees to its flower heads. Some Butterflies lay their eggs on the plant making it the main source of food for their caterpillars.
It has a long flowering season and is relatively short. Whist seeds of it are available the best option is to buy some wildflower plugs. Clear the space round each plug the size of a small dinner plate. Plant in the autumn or Spring
Where and how to grow Kidney Vetch
Bumblebee flying above a kidney vetch flower on a summer meadow
Flowering Season: June to September
Site: Likes Sunny places and seaside gardens
Soil Type: Well drained soil will tolerate poor fertility
Height: 24 to 30 cm
