Spring vetch vs wood vetch

Vicia lathyroides compared with Vicia sylvatica

Key Differences

• Spring vetch is Endangered while wood vetch is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Spring vetch	wood vetch
Kingdom same	Plantae (plantas)	Plantae (plantas)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family same	Fabaceae	Fabaceae
Genus same	Vicia	Vicia
Species	Vicia lathyroides	Vicia sylvatica

Evolutionary Relationship

Spring vetch and wood vetch share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Vicia.

Conservation Status

Spring vetch

EN — Endangered

wood vetch

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Spring vetch	wood vetch
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Spring vetch

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate coniferous forests spanning the Indomalayan and Oceanian and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan), Europe (6 countries), and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

wood vetch

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (8 countries).

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden