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Lespedeza cuneata

Chinese bushclover

Fabaceae East and South Asia

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 6–9

Overview

Lespedeza cuneata, known as sericea or Chinese bushclover, is an upright, wiry perennial legume 3-5 feet (90-150 cm) tall with a woody base and many slender, ascending stems. The stems are densely clothed in small trifoliate leaves whose wedge-shaped leaflets are 0.3-0.8 inch (8-20 mm) long, grey-green, and flattened against the stem. From midsummer into autumn it bears small pea-type flowers in the leaf axils, creamy white marked with purple to violet, about 0.2-0.3 inch (6-8 mm) long; many flowers are self-pollinating and never fully open. As a legume it fixes nitrogen and tolerates poor, dry, and acidic soils, which lets it colonize roadsides, pastures, and disturbed land. It builds a deep taproot and a persistent seed bank, and the foliage carries high tannin levels that make it unpalatable to most grazers. In much of the central and southeastern United States it forms dense stands that displace native vegetation and is listed as a noxious or invasive weed. These traits make it hard to control once it is established.

Native Range

Native to eastern and southern Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the Indian subcontinent. It was introduced to North America for forage and erosion control and is now widely naturalized.

Suggested Uses

Historically sown for erosion control, forage, and mine-spoil reclamation on poor soils. It is now discouraged or banned across much of the United States because of its invasive spread. Where permitted, it is limited to contained reclamation sites rather than gardens.

How to Identify

Look for a tall, leafy, wiry-stemmed plant with crowded trifoliate leaves whose small leaflets are wedge-shaped and broadest near the tip. Tiny cream pea-flowers with purple veins sit in the leaf axils in late summer. Flattened hairs press along the stems, and the dried tan stalks persist upright through winter.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 5'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~8 weeks

Summer Fall

Open flowers appear from July through September, alongside many closed self-pollinating flowers produced through the season. The bloom is small and held tight to the stems. Seed ripens in autumn and persists for years in the soil.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

creamy white with purple markings

Foliage Description

grey-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-10 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 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

clay loam rocky sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years to flowering; persistent

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Lespedeza cuneata grows in full sun on a wide range of soils, including poor, dry, rocky, and acidic ground, and fixes its own nitrogen. It is drought-tolerant once rooted and needs no feeding or irrigation. Because it self-seeds heavily and resprouts from the crown, it spreads aggressively and is hard to remove; control combines repeated cutting with targeted herbicide before seed set. Mowing alone tends to thicken the stand. It is unpalatable to deer and livestock owing to its tannins. In regions where it is regulated as noxious it is taken out rather than planted.

Pruning

Cut or mow stems before flowering to limit seed production, repeating through the season. Clear dried stalks in late winter. Cutting after seed set spreads the plant and is counterproductive.

✓ Toxicity

Non-toxic