Wild herbs grow inconspicuously along the side of the road and are no longer noticed by many people. They are often extremely tasty and a valuable addition to the menu. Unlike the sweet pea (Lathyrus), which is a poisonous plant, the sand pea (Vicia) is edible and extremely tasty.
Is the vetch edible?
The sand vetch (Vicia) is edible and tasty. Their leaves, young shoots and flowers can be eaten. They taste similar to young peas and are a delicious, visually appealing addition, especially in salads. Only the seeds are slightly poisonous and should not be eaten.
Systematics of the fence vetch
The fence vetch is easy to identify and confusion with other plants is hardly possible. It thrives as a perennial, herbaceous plant and forms long ground runners. If it grows in front of climbing aids such as fences or dead wood, it holds on with the help of leaf tendrils. The pinnate leaves are about five to eight centimeters long and are covered with a very fine fuzz on the underside. The flowers are in racemose inflorescences and are colored red-violet to cloudy blue, and in exceptional cases also white.
The elongated pods look like this:
- Two to four centimeters long.
- Five to eight millimeters wide.
- Growing horizontally or slightly nodding.
- Young pods are covered with a fine down of hair
- When ripe, these are bare and shiny, dark brown to black in color.
- They contain three to six round seeds, each about four millimeters in size.
Edible parts of plants
Leaves, young shoots and flowers of the vetch are suitable for human consumption. You can collect the flowers throughout the entire growing season. Shoots and leaves should be harvested as young as possible.
The seeds, on the other hand, are slightly poisonous and therefore must not be consumed.
How does the sweet pea taste?
The crunchy, juicy shoot tips taste reminiscent of young peas. The flowers have a lot of nectar and therefore taste pleasantly slightly sour-sweet. They are a delicious addition to salads, and their pretty coloring also gives them a visually interesting touch.
Tip
You can plant the sand vetch specifically in your own garden. To do this, sow the seeds along a fence. The plant thrives on almost any surface without any problems and spreads on its own in the following years.
