Bridle vetch (Vicia sepium) is a popular fodder plant because of its high protein content. The flowers and leaves of this wild herb are very aromatic and also edible for humans. In this plant profile, we have summarized all the important characteristics of the common wire bindweed so that you can identify them properly.
Bindweed grows very profusely, which is why it is notorious as a weed
distribution
The bindweed is very common in Central Europe. It prefers to thrive on nutrient-rich meadows and in light-flooded mixed forests. In the Allgäu Alps, the sandweed can be found at altitudes of up to 2,100 meters. The pretty wild flower loves soils rich in alkaline nitrogen.
growth form:
The bindweed thrives as a perennial herbaceous perennial that forms long runners. With the help of the leaf tendrils, it climbs up to 50 centimeters on fences and plants, so that it can reach considerable heights.
Leaves:
The pinnate leaves consist of at least four to eight pairs of alternate leaflets that are lanceolate in shape. They are mostly hairy on the underside. At the end of each leaf there is a more or less developed tendril.
Blossoms:
The bindweed is a legume family. There are two to five individual flowers in each leaf axil. The flowers are composed of five sepals. Inside is the ovary, which has grown together to form a surrounding tube. The flower color ranges from red-violet to cloudy blue, occasionally also white.
fruits and seeds
The flowers form elongated pods that are about three centimeters long and seven millimeters wide. When young, these are covered with a fine downy fuzz, the ripe pods are bare and shiny black in colour. Inside there are three to six spherical seeds. Their color can be reddish, yellowish, brownish or gray. The seeds are often darkly spotted.
particularities
In warm, humid weather, the sandweed produces a lot of nectar. Ants are magically attracted to the sweet sap and are found in abundance on the bindweed.
Bridle vetch's petals are very thick and can only be opened by strong insects such as bumblebees. Common ground bumblebees can often be observed on the plant, which act as nectar robbers. The animals simply bite open the calyx and crown to get the coveted food. The sweet juice escapes through the remaining holes, which honey bees then feast on.
tips
The delicate flowers of the bindweed are not only decorative, but extremely tasty. They are suitable as a natural decoration of dishes and are an aromatic salad addition.