Eastern Forest Threat Center - Chinese Lespedeza

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Chinese lespedeza leaves and flowers

Chinese lespedeza leaves and flowers

James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

Chinese Lespedeza
Lespedeza cuneata

Chinese lespedeza is native to Asia. It was introduced into the U.S. in the 1940s for erosion control and for use as forage and hay production on poor soils.

Keywords: Fabaceae, perennial, forb; Common names: Chinese bush clover, sericea lespedeza, silky bush clover, Himalayan bush clover, hairy lespedeza

Distribution Map Distribution Source Image

Threat Description

Chinese lespedeza is a perennial herbaceous plant in the pea family ranging from 3 to 5 ft. in height. Its root system is made up of a woody taproot that branches laterally and grows 3 to 4 ft. deep. Mature stems are somewhat woody and fibrous with bristly hairs on ridges. Leaves are alternate and compound with 3 grayish-green or silvery leaflets, each about ½ to 1 in. long, narrowly oblong, and sharply-pointed with small flattened hairs. Small flowers are creamy white to yellow-white with pink to purple colored veins; they bloom from late July to October, emerging either singly or in clusters of 2-4 from axils of upper and median leaves. Flowering is followed by the production of legume seedpods, each containing one small, shiny seed. Seeds can remain viable in soil for 20 years or more. Chinese lespedeza can grow in a variety of habitats including severely eroded sterile soils. It tolerates light to moderate shade. It invades open woodlands, grasslands, savannas, roadsides, fence rows, fields, prairies, drainage areas, wetland borders of ponds and swamps, meadows, and open disturbed ground, crowding out native plants and developing extensive seed banks in the soil.