Tufted Vetch - Western Isles Wildflowers

This perennial climbing wild flowers from May to August in The Western Isles, with the seeds ripening from July to September. The lovely blue flowers are pollinated by bees and flies. You will see it by roadsides, hedgebanks, woodland edges and in the moorland damp grass.

Many Violet Purple / Blue Flowers

This wildflowers has showy heads of blue - violet-purple flowers - seen in clusters. The wildflower plant can be seen scrambling through the damp moorland vegetation here in The Western Isles. The flowers are 10 - 12mm long. The plant ,shows us the flowers throughout June - September.

Click Images for Larger Pictures       Blue Wildflowers - Tufted Vetch   Bog Asphodel

Climbing Perennial - Pea Family - Provides Nitrogen
Plants in the pea family often have nodules on their roots containing a bacteria which take nitrogen from the air. Plants and animals need nitrogen. The air is full of nitrogen. The bacteria perform a very useful task of converting atmospheric nitrogen into fertilizer for the plants, eventually animals eat the plants also get their share of Nitrogen

This plant climbs by means of tendrils which can be seen on the ends of the leaves, The leaves and stems are hairy and there are lots of branched clinging tendrils that help he plant to climb

Vetch - Latin
The name ‘vetch’ is derived from the Latin name of the genus ‘Viccia

Pollination by Insects
Tufted vetch is pollinated by bumble bees and other large bees.

Fodder for Cattle

For centuries Tufted Vetch provided fodder for cattle.