Vicia villosa, known as the hairy vetch, fodder vetch or winter vetch, is a plant native to Europe and western Asia. It is a legume, grown as a forage crop, fodder crop, cover crop, and green manure. Hairy vetch is very similar to tufted vetch (Vicia cracca), the most noticeable difference being that tufted vetch has a smooth stem. Several subspecies are recognized: The species Vicia hirsuta is also called hairy vetch.