contradictory truths

our roadsides are mounds of pink vetch at the moment. at first i thought it was clover, but when i pulled over to grab a handful for STILL today, i quickly realized my mistake. (yes, it’s time for bifocals.) so a little wiki research, and i find out that crownvetch is considered a toxic invasive species in the midwest. hmm. i am not sure what to do with that info. because i love vetch. i love its symmetrical compound leaves, its delicate pea-family vine-and-tendril tips, and it’s abundance of pink blossoms. another case of having to hold two contradictory truths simultaneously: crownvetch stabilizes and beautifies our roadsides, and is a toxic invasive that tends to crown out native plants. life’s a bitch.

crownvetch (Securigera varia)