Thunberg's Lespedeza (Invasive Exotic Plants of North Carolina)

Thunberg's Lespedeza

Lespedeza thunbergii

Summary ⁷

Lespedeza thunbergii is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names Thunberg's bushclover, Thunberg's lespedeza, and shrub lespedeza. It is native to China and Japan.

Control ⁸

Please contact your local agricultural extension specialist or county weed specialist to learn what works best in your area and how to use it safely. Always read label and safety instructions for each control method. Trade names and control measures appear in this document only to provide specific information. USDA, NRCS does not guarantee or warranty the products and control methods named, and other products may be equally effective.

Description ⁹

Shrub lespedeza is a perennial legume native to eastern Asia. It grows 4 to 6 feet tall stems that may reach 1/2 inch in diameter. These stems die back to the ground annually. The leaves are usually 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide, with a more linear appearance than oval. The pink to purple colored flowers emerge in great masses during late summer. Bees and insects are necessary to adequately pollinate lespedezas. This species of lespedeza easily hybridizes with others of the genus, so isolation is necessary. The small, black, bean-like, seeds are singly produced in pods which open when mature. Seed maturity occurs from late September to early October. Approximately 300 to 500 pounds of seed is produced per acre on production fields. There are about 72,000 seeds per pound. This species has a high frequency of hard-coated seed which must be cracked or removed to initiate germination.

Sources and Credits

(c) Vilseskogen, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Vilseskogen, https://www.flickr.com/photos/vilseskogen/15280799881/
(c) Steven Severinghaus, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/horsepunchkid/15136983499/
(c) licensed media from USDA PLANTS images without owner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=leth4_004_ahp.tif
(c) Steven Severinghaus, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/horsepunchkid/15218101032/
(c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/10849767915/
(c) licensed media from USDA PLANTS images without owner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=leth4_001_ahp.tif
Adapted by Kate Wagner from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lespedeza_thunbergii
Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/1386858
Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/1386853

More Info

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