[4] It differs from the other two species without tendrils in being perennial, having more than 6 flowers in each inflorescence, having peduncles more than 3 cm (1.2 in) long, and having more than 5 pairs of leaflets in each pinnate leaf.

[5] Vicia orobus has an Atlantic distribution,[6] occurring from northern Spain to Norway, at altitudes of 0–2,380 metres (0–7,808 ft).

[9] In Ireland, V. orobus is declining in numbers,[5] and has been found recently at fewer than a dozen sites, most of which hold very small populations.

[6] Vicia orobus is found in a variety of sites, including the edges of woods, on heaths, in meadows or in rocky places over limestone.

In Great Britain, it is frequently found at the edges of fields where sheep are grazed in winter, but a hay crop is grown in summer.

[5] Many species are associated with V. orobus in Great Britain, including Alchemilla glabra, Carex pallescens, Genista anglica, Pseudorchis albida, Rhinanthus minor, Stachys officinalis and Viola lutea.