Lespedeza capitata (round-headed bush clover)

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Lespedeza spp.

bush clovers and lespedezas

Fabaceae

East Asia, eastern North America, and Australia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 4–9

Overview

Lespedeza spp. is a genus of about 40 species in the legume family (Fabaceae), made up of perennial herbs and small deciduous shrubs native to temperate and subtropical Asia, North America, and Australia. Plants range from low, trailing mats to arching shrubs 2-8 ft (0.6-2.4 m) tall, with slender, often wand-like stems that bend under the weight of late-season flowers. The leaves are divided into three small oval leaflets, 0.5-1.5 inches (1.3-4 cm) long, in the typical clover pattern of the pea family. Small pea-shaped flowers, 0.2-0.5 inch (0.5-1.3 cm) long and pink, purple, white, or cream, crowd the upper stems from late summer into autumn. As nitrogen-fixing legumes, members of the genus grow on poor, dry soils and are planted for forage, erosion control, and wildlife food. Several species, particularly sericea lespedeza (L. cuneata), self-seed heavily and form dense stands that crowd native vegetation, and they are regulated as invasive across parts of the central and eastern United States. Habit, height, and hardiness vary widely across the genus.

Native Range

Native to temperate and subtropical East Asia, eastern North America, and Australia, in open woods, prairies, and disturbed ground. Asian species such as L. cuneata and L. bicolor have naturalized widely in North America.

Suggested Uses

Used for erosion control, forage, and wildlife plantings on poor and disturbed soils, and shrubby species are grown in borders for their arching late-summer flowers. The seeds feed quail, turkey, and songbirds through autumn and winter. Invasive species such as L. cuneata are managed on roadsides and rangeland rather than planted.

How to Identify

Recognized by three-parted clover-like leaves and by small pea flowers crowded along slender, arching stems in late summer and autumn. The flowers are pink to purple, white, or cream, and many species also bear tiny self-pollinating flowers that set seed without opening. The three leaflets and pea flowers separate Lespedeza spp. from true clovers Trifolium spp., which carry flowers in dense rounded heads.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height2' - 8'

Width/Spread2' - 6'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~8 weeks

Summer Fall

Flowering runs from mid or late summer into autumn (July-October), peaking as day length shortens. Bees work the open flowers, while inconspicuous closed flowers lower on the stems self-pollinate and add to the seed crop. Seed ripens in autumn and persists into winter as food for birds and small mammals.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

Pink to purple, white, or cream

Foliage Description

Green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam rocky clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow in full sun on well-drained, even poor and dry soil; as legumes, the plants fix their own nitrogen and need little feeding. Established plants tolerate drought and heat but flower poorly and grow loose in shade or rich, damp ground. Hardiness varies by species, with shrubby types such as L. thunbergii hardy in USDA zones 4-8 and others more tender. Cutting plants back hard in late winter keeps shrubby species dense, since they flower on new growth. Self-sown seedlings can appear in numbers around established plants. Where L. cuneata is regulated as invasive, it is managed rather than planted, as cut stands resprout and the seed bank persists for years.

Pruning

Shrubby species are cut back to a low framework or near ground level in late winter, since the late-summer flowers form on the current season's growth. Spent stems are removed in autumn or left through winter for seed. Removing seed heads before they ripen limits self-sowing where spread is a concern.