Scientific Name:
Lespedeza thunbergii
Pronunciation:
less-pe-DEEZ-ah THOON-burg-ee-eye
Common Name:
purple bush clover
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Long, leggy, arching bush; leaves are compound with 3 leaflets arranged in a 'T'; flowers pea-like, purple-pink.
Habit:
Arching, Open, Spreading, Upright
Form:
Round
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
1.3 - 2.0m
Mature Spread:
1.5 - 2.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 6: (-23 to -18 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Aquatic - ponds, Cut flower or foliage, Group or mass planting, Mixed shrub border, Perennial border, Specimen plant, Summer interest, Tall background
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Compound Leaf:
Trifoliate (ternate)
Colour in Summer:
Bluish, Green
Colour in Fall:
Bluish
Shapes:
Elliptic, Oblong, Ovate
Apices:
Acute, Mucronate
Bases:
Obtuse
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Bilabiate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Purple, Pink
Flower Scent:
Musky
Flower Time at Peak:
Aug, Sep, Oct
Fruit Type:
Legume
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct
Additional Info:
Not showy, None found on specimens even in October (seems to keep flowering until frost)
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Brown
Organ Modifications:
Root nodules (N-fixing)
Propagation:
Seed, Softwood cuttings, Division - above ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
