Kidney vetch is a low-growing, hairy plant that prefers an open sunny position and chalky or lime soil. It can grow up to 40cm in height and has narrow compound leaves about 1.4-3.8cm long.

Flowering and Fruiting

The plant produces yellow-white flowers with wooly bases borne in dense round clusters. The flowers are tubular in shape and appear from June to September. The fruit is a small legume.

Use

Kidney vetch is a medicinal plant native to Europe, and its name ?vulneraria? means ?wound healer?. It was used by traditional herbalists to relieve swelling and heal wounds, and to treat stomach and kidney problems.

Wildlife Value

The plant provides food for a number of beetle and moth larvae, but most importantly, it is the sole food plant for the caterpillars of the small blue butterfly. The flowers also provide nectar and pollen for beetles and bees.

Cultivation

Kidney vetch can be grown from seed and is often found in coastal, calcerous or rocky areas. It looks best growing with other chalk and limestone plants that flower in early to mid-summer.