Common names: sericea lespedeza, Chinese bush clover, Chinese lespedeza

Scientific names: Lespedeza cuneata (L. sericea)

Seasons of significant use: summer (for Lespedeza spp. complex)

Characteristics: Introduced, naturalized, perennial, warm season forb to 6.0 feet. Stems erect with ascending branches; leaves alternate, pinnately trifoliolate compound; leaflets 3, gray-green to silvery on lower surface, mostly shaped like a baseball bat with the handle at the point of attachment, without stipels; flowers in short axillary clusters; fruit is 1-seeded, indehiscent pod. Flowers July-October.

Plant community type: Open uplands and bottomlands.

Comments: Often planted in conjunction with perennial grasses for additional forage and nitrogen fixation properties. Used to a lesser extent for erosion control.

More Plant Photos and Descriptions:
Appendix C: Plants by Common Name
Appendix C: Plants by Scientific Name
Appendix C: Plants Listed by Family