This beautiful wildflower erupts during the late spring in a near carpet of purple all over our property, especially in our meadows but also in our lower forest. I love the graceful appearance of each blossom, aren't they lovely?!

This flower is native to Europe and western Asia. It's part of the legume, or pea, famliy, and is grown as a forage crop for livestock. It's now found all over the United States and Australia. Vetch is an important crop for revitalizing soil that need nitrogen, and is often planted as a companion to certain plants like tomatoes, which need nitrogen-rich soil.

If you would like to know more about Hairy Vetch, Wiki has a page here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicia_villosa