Lespedeza virginica
slender bush clover
Overview
Lespedeza virginica is an upright herbaceous perennial legume of eastern and central North America, growing 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) tall on slender, wiry, sparingly branched stems. The leaves are divided into three narrow, linear-oblong leaflets 0.5-1 inch (1.3-2.5 cm) long, crowded along the upper stem and tilted upward. From midsummer into autumn it bears small pea-shaped flowers in tight clusters at the upper leaf axils, in rose-pink to purple, each 0.2-0.3 inch (5-8 mm) long. Both open, insect-pollinated flowers and closed self-pollinating flowers occur, the latter setting seed without opening. Single-seeded pods follow, flattened and roughly the length of the calyx. As a legume, L. virginica fixes nitrogen through root nodules and grows on dry, lean soils in prairies, open woods, glades, and old fields. Its narrow, sparse form contributes light, airy texture rather than bulk in a planting. It tolerates drought and poor ground but spreads slowly and can be crowded out by taller, more vigorous neighbors on rich sites.
Native Range
Native to eastern and central North America, from southern New England and Ontario west to Wisconsin and Kansas, and south to Florida and Texas. It grows in dry prairies, open oak woods, glades, rocky slopes, and old fields.Suggested Uses
Used in prairie and meadow plantings, native plant gardens, and restorations on dry, lean soils. It serves as a nitrogen-fixing component in low-input grassland mixes and supplies seed for ground-feeding birds such as bobwhite quail. Its open form blends into mixed plantings rather than standing alone.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 3'
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Bloom Information
Flowering runs from midsummer into early autumn, roughly July to September, with small rose-pink to purple pea flowers packed into clusters at the upper leaf joints. Closed, self-pollinating flowers form alongside the open ones and set seed without opening. Single-seeded pods ripen from late summer into fall.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
rose-pink to purpleFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
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