Securigera varia (syn. Coronilla varia)
Variegated crown vetch, changing crown vetch, variegated crown vetch, variegated sainfoin: its pink-and-white flower umbels, arranged in perfect crowns — hence the genus name, from the Latin corona — cover banks and roadsides all summer long. A remarkably robust ground-covering legume, capable of greening even the most unpromising terrain.
Characteristics:
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Two-toned umbels: pale pink to bright pink flowers tinged with white, grouped in crowns throughout the summer.
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Dense ground cover: growing up to 50 cm tall, it spreads generously and carpets the ground.
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Nitrogen fixer: as a legume, it naturally enriches poor soils.
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Very hardy: hardy down to -20 °C and remarkably drought-tolerant.
Precautions:
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All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested, especially the seeds: they contain cardiotonic glycosides. It is particularly dangerous to horses. Do not plant it in pastures or near an equestrian enclosure, and keep the seeds out of children’s reach.
- Its spreading root system makes it highly vigorous: reserve it for banks, land to be revegetated, or areas where its spread is desired.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun.
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Soil: virtually any type, even poor, stony, or chalky soil, provided it is well drained. As a nitrogen fixer, it needs no amendments and thrives where few plants can survive.
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Method: sow directly in place in spring or autumn. Cold stratification for 2 to 3 weeks improves germination. Watering is only necessary during establishment.
Care advice:
- None once established. Annual mowing at the end of summer is enough to contain its spread and rejuvenate it.
Beneficial combinations:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Highly attractive to pollinators, it draws bees and bumblebees over a very long summer period.
- It is a host plant for the caterpillars of several butterflies, particularly blues.
- Its dense root system effectively stabilizes banks and combats erosion, while enriching the soil with nitrogen.
Uses:
- Green manure on poor or fallow soils, stabilization of sloping ground, wildflower meadows, and country-style borders. Strictly non-edible.
Symbolism:
Through its vigor and ability to take root in the poorest soils, it embodies resilience and the rebirth of dormant land.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Leave a few umbels to develop their jointed pods, then harvest them when brown and dry, before they split into segments. Label the packet clearly given the plant’s toxicity. See saving your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Volcanoes of Auvergne, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, without any chemical treatment. Our conviction: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Green up an unpromising bank with this tireless legume.
