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| ## Crownvetch {#crownvetch .Title-Header}                             |
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| *Coronilla varia* L.                                                  |
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| Plant Symbol = COVA2                                                  |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program

![Color image of Crownvetch (Coronilla
varia)](media/image2.png){width="3.0in" height="2.0in"}

##### Alternative Names {#alternative-names .Header-3}

##### *Securigera varia* (L.) Lassen {#securigera-varia-l.-lassen .Header-3}

#####  {#section .Header-3}

##### Uses {#uses .Header-3}

*Erosion control*: Crownvetch is a useful but overused erosion control
plant. Its spreading growth habit, and strong root system provide soil
holding ability and ground cover. The dark green foliage and profuse
flower have aesthetic value. It is a good plant for road bank
stabilization in areas where rocky conditions predominate, but on steep
slopes in the East, it may conceal the problem, since rill and gully
erosion can occur under the crownvetch canopy in these areas. Crown
vetch has been successfully used with switchgrass on dry sites in the
East, forming an understory but providing nitrogen. Rapid soil organic
matter improvement has occured with this species combination, which
stabilizes soil better than crownvetch used alone; in general, however,
crownvetch dominates other plants and tends toward a monoculture.

*Livestock*: Crownvetch produces palatable high quality forage for all
classes of livestock either as hay or pasture. There is little or no
bloat hazard in grazing crownvetch.

*Wildlife*: Crownvetch provides good forage for deer and elk. Deer have
been known to paw through snow to forage on crownvetch in the winter. It
provides good cover for ground-nesting birds and is used by rabbits for
both food and cover.

##### Status {#status .Header-3}

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status (e.g. threatened or endangered
species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

##### Weediness {#weediness .Header-3}

This plant may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats and
may displace desirable vegetation if not properly managed. Please
consult with your local NRCS Field Office, Cooperative Extension Service
office, or state natural resource or agriculture department regarding
its status and use. Weed information is also available from the PLANTS
Web site at plants.usda.gov.

##### Description {#description .Header-3}

*Coronilla varia* L., crownvetch, is a herbaceous, perennial legume
introduced from the Mediterranean region. Leaves are dark green and
pinnately compound, usually with 15 ovate-oblong leaflets. It has
coarse, strongly branched stems that are 2 to 6 feet long and upright to
trailing. Crownvetch has a multi-branched root system and spreads by
strong fleshy rhizomes. Flowers are pinkish-white to deep pink in
long-stalked clusters. Seed pods are segmented, pointed, borne in
crown-like clusters. It is not a true vetch and does not have tendrils
for climbing. It normally grows to a height of 1½ to 2 feet.

##### Adaptation and Distribution {#adaptation-and-distribution .Header-3}

Crownvetch has a broad adaptation to soil texture, but does not persist
where soil fines (passing 200 mesh) are less than 15 percent. It does
well on sand, gravely-rocky soils, loams, and clays. It will grow on low
fertility sites and on acid soils with a pH of 5.0 to 5.5. It is not
very tolerant of salt and alkali. Crownvetch requires good moisture, at
least for part of the growing season. Established crownvetch will
withstand long periods of drought. It should be used in areas with 18
inches or more annual precipitation or where supplemental irrigation is
provided. Crownvetch is cold-tolerant, however young seedlings will
winter kill, so plants should be well established before fall.

Crownvetch is distributed throughout the majority of the United States.
For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page
for this species on the PLANTS Website.

##### Establishment {#establishment .Header-3}

Correct acidity to a pH of 5.5 or higher and where possible, scarify the
soil 2 to 4 inches deep. Apply fertilizer according to soil tests. Apply
seed uniformly, cover seed up to 1/2 inch deep, mulch with 1-1/2 tons of
straw per acre. For best results, seeds should be inoculated with the
appropriate legume bacteria before sowing.

In mix plantings, use 15 to 20 pounds of crownvetch with either tall
fescue or ryegrass at 30 pounds per acre. These grasses provides quick
growth and protect the site while the slower growing legume is getting
established. Seeding in the spring is best. Do not seed after
mid-summer. Sites ready for seeding in late summer or fall can be seeded
to grass and mulched, and the crownvetch over-seeded the following
spring. Sites too steep or stony to use mechanical equipment usually can
be seeded without site preparation if "frost seeded". Soil conditions
must have a favorable soil reaction of pH 5.5 and be of moderate
fertility. Broadcast seed in late winter while there is still frost
action in the soil. Frost heaving will work seed into the soil. A
seeding rate of 15 to 20 pounds of crownvetch with a grass usually is
adequate.

##### Management {#management .Header-3}

Normally, crownvetch will not make sufficient growth for use the first
year, but should be clipped for weed control. Remove first hay harvest
about 10 to 14 days after first flowers appear. Leave a six inch stubble
as new growth will come from buds on the stems. The second harvest will
come about 8 to 9 weeks later. Drying the hay may be more of a problem
than with other legumes. Artificial means should be utilized. Begin
grazing about the same time as cutting for hay. Recovery may be more
rapid after grazing than after hay cutting as livestock will eat the
leaves and let the long stems remain. New growth will initiate from the
many buds on the stems. Rotate grazing and regraze after 10 to 14 inches
of growth is made. Mature crownvetch is a little more palatable than
most other legumes, therefore it can be stockpiled to take advantage of
other forages. Nutritional value decreases with maturity.

##### Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) {#cultivars-improved-and-selected-materials-and-area-of-origin .Header-3}

'Chemung', 'Emerald' (USSR), and 'Penngift'. Seeds are available from
most commercial seed suppliers.

##### Control {#control .Header-3}

Please contact your local agricultural extension specialist or county
weed specialist to learn what works best in your area and how to use it
safely. Always read label and safety instructions for each control
method. Trade names and control measures appear in this document only to
provide specific information. USDA, NRCS does not guarantee or warranty
the products and control methods named, and other products may be
equally effective.

##### Prepared By & Species Coordinator:  {#prepared-by-species-coordinator .Header-3}

USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program

##### 

##### Edited: 01Feb2002 JLK; 060817 jsp {#edited-01feb2002-jlk-060817-jsp .Header-4}

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

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