Lespedeza Species, Slender Bush Clover

I have not grown this plant. Slender Lespedeza can be found in Alabama (AL), Arkansas (AR), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), District of ...Read MoreColumbia (DC), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Virginia (VA), West Virginia (WV) and Wisconsin (WI). It is listed as threatened in New Hampshire and Wisconsin.

It can be identified by its leaves which tend to be 3 times longer than wide and pubescent on both surfaces as well as by its compact flowering clusters. The flowers are pinkish to purplish or sometimes whitish with darker purple splotches at the base. All lobes are triangular-attenuate with the longest being to 1.2mm long. The upper lip is 2-lobed and the lower lip is 3-lobed.

This legume genus was named in honor of the Spanish governor of Florida in 1790, whose name was in fact de
Cespedes but the botan...Read Moreist Michaux got it wrong - however the mistaken version became so familiar that botanists eventually voted to retain it. It includes about 40 species of annuals, perennials and deciduous shrubs and subshrubs from across the northern hemisphere, extending to Southeast Asia and Australia. The leaves are made up of 3 leaflets, while the small pea-flowers are held in long sprays. The pods are small and one-seeded, falling without opening. Some species are grown for fodder or green manure.
Cultivation: These plants do best in a sunny position in well-drained soil, and prefer warmer climates where cold winters will not cut them back. Mulch well, especially at the limit of frost hardiness, and prune to rejuvenate in spring. Propagate from seed or cuttings, or by division.

Slender Bush Clover Lespedeza virginica is native to Texas and other States.

This plant is relished by all classes of livestock and foraged by deer and other wildlife. The seeds are consumed by bobwhite quail and o...Read Morether birds.

It grows in prairies, open woods, and glades often on rocky sites.