Content
- The plant profile of the Zaunwicke
- distribution
- Growth habit:
- Leaves:
- Blossoms:
- Fruits and seeds
- particularities
- Tips
The Zaunwinde proliferates very strong, which is why it is also known as weeds
The plant profile of the Zaunwicke
Fenugreek (Vicia sepium) is a popular forage plant due to its high protein content.Flowers and leaves of this herb are very aromatic and also edible for humans. In this plant profile, we have summarized all the important features of the Zaunwicke so that you can identify them properly.
distribution
The fence vetch is very common in Central Europe. It prefers to thrive on nutrient-rich fatty meadows and in light-flooded mixed forests. In the Allgäu Alps, the fence vetch is found at heights of up to 2,100 meters; the pretty wildflower loves soil rich in nitrogen.
Growth habit:
The Zaunwicke thrives as a perennial herbaceous waking perennial, which forms long foothills. With the help of leaf vines she climbs up fences and fences up to fifty centimeters, so that she can reach considerable heights.
Leaves:
The pinnate leaves consist of at least four to eight pairs of alternate leaflets, which have the shape of a lancet. Mostly they are soft hairy on the underside. At the end of each leaf is a more or less trained tendril.
Blossoms:
The Zaunwicke is a Schmetterlingsblütler. In each case two to five single flowers are in a Blattachsel. 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 reddish purple to dull blue, occasionally also white.
Fruits and seeds
The flowers form elongated pods that are about three inches long and seven millimeters wide. Young are these covered by a fine coat of hair, the ripe pods are bare and glossy black colored. Inside there are three to six round seeds. Their color can be reddish, yellowish, brownish or gray. Often the seeds are spotted dark.
particularities
In warm and humid weather, the Zaunwicke produces a lot of nectar. Ants are magically attracted by the sweet juice and then find themselves very abundant on the Zaunwicke.
The petals of the Zaunwicke are very thick and can only be opened by strong insects like bumblebees. Often you can observe bumblebees on the plant that act as Nektaräuber. The animals simply bite the chalice and the crown to get the desired food. At the remaining holes, the sweet juice comes out, on which honey bees then also feed.
Tips
The delicate flowers of the fence vetch are not only decorative, but extremely tasty. They are suitable as a natural decoration of food and are an aromatic salad addition.