Alternatives to Crown Vetch for Planting

Purple vetch is an alternative to crown vetch.

Crown vetch, or Caronilla varia, is an herbaceous perennial from the pea family. The species is frequently planted along roadsides and waterways for erosion control and as a green fertilizer crop. Crown vetch develops creeping stems that grow 2 to 6 feet in length. Crown vetch forms a large, dense mound that crowds out other vegetation. The plant easily produces seed and rapidly spreads, which makes it difficult to control. Use less invasive native species as alternatives to crown vetch for planting.

Big Bluestem

Big bluestem, or Andropogon gerardii Vitman, works well for erosion control and forage. The warm-season perennial yields blue or green leaves and grows 6 to 8 feet tall. Big bluestem tends to be less invasive because it develops a sod-forming mound that spreads slowly through a short, scaly rhizome. The plant prefers moderate to excessively well-drained soils but adapts to poor soils. It grows well in the Northeast and Midwest.

Partridge Pea

Partridge pea, or Cassia fasciculata Michx. Greene, is a native warm-season grass that controls erosion and improves soil fertility. The annual grows 1 to 3 feet tall and bears a yellow flower July to September. Partridge pea establishes rapidly and fixes nitrogen in the soil. Partridge pea is often included in a seed mix designed to control weed growth. Partridge pea growth tapers as other grasses in the seed mix begin to compete with the weeds. Partridge pea plant is poisonous to cattle.

Purple Vetch

Purple vetch, or Vicia Americana, acts as a similar ground cover and hay crop. The plant's climbing stem grows up to 30 inches tall and bears a gray-green leaf. The blue-purple flower blooms in late summer. Purple vetch grows naturally in fields and roadside ditches. Sometimes the plant invades cranberry bogs, if left unchecked. Purple vetch performs best in milder climates, such as California. Temperatures below 20 degrees F injure the plant.

Round-headed Bush Clover

Round-headed bush clover, or Lespedeza capitata Michx., adds nitrogen to the soil and serves as a food source for wildlife. The 2- to 4-feet perennial bears short stems near the top of the plant. The cream flower blooms in late summer, then turns brown. Round-headed bush clover naturally grows in prairies, sandy or loamy savannas and woods. The foliage turns yellow and falls off during periods of drought.

References

• Indiana Department of Natural Resources; Crown Vetch; 2006
• Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; Invasive Plant Species of Virginia-Crown Vetch; 1999
• U.S. Department of Agriculture; Big Bluestem; 2002
• U.S. Department of Agriculture; Partridge Pea; James E. "Bud" Smith; 2006
• University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Purple Vetch
• University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point: Lespedeza Capitata Michx.