Carolina Vetch

Vicia caroliniana

Native to Georgia (estimated)

Vicia caroliniana — whole plant photograph — (c) Michael J. Papay, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph · iNaturalist medium image; no additional crop, retouching, or re-encoding.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

17CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including GA

Genus host records with ranges including GA · Vicia

Anicla illapsaSnowy Dart
Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
Caenurgia chlorophaVetch Looper Moth
Cecropterus pyladesNorthern Cloudywing
Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
Colias philodiceClouded Sulphur, Clover Butterfly
Cupido comyntasEastern Tailed-Blue
Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
Eurema dairaBarred Yellow, Barred Sulphur
Gesta baptisiaeWild Indigo Duskywing, Baptisia Duskywing

Show all 17

Glaucopsyche lygdamusSilvery Blue
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
Urbanus proteusLong-Tailed Skipper, Bean Leaf Roller

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

21BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Vicia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Vicia

Megachile melanophaea

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

10BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Vicia

Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
Francolinus francolinusBlack Francolin
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
Perdix perdixGray Partridge
Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Fabaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–9b
Soil pH: Acidic to neutral
Flower color: Blue, pink or white

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Spring and summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Flower color · “Blue, pink or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “1–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Deep shade (less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “1–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Carolina Vetch

Conservation status

Georgia rank	Not available
Global rank	G5
GA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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