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Lespedeza thunbergii |
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| Common name |
bush clover |
| Family |
fabaceae |
| Life cycle |
shrub (Z5-8) |
| Flowers |
purple (late summer) |
| Size |
to 7 ft |
| Light |
sun |
| Cultural notes |
ordinary garden soil |
From seed  |
germinate with bottom heat
detailed seed-starting info below
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| Seed ripens | late October |
In our garden, bush clover's top growth doesn't get through the winter - it regrows from the bottom 1 ft of the woody stems. It doesn't get going until May, but then it puts on a growth spurt, so that by the time it blooms in late summer, it is about 6 ft tall, with bushy growth about 4 ft around.
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We left this plant behind in our Pennsylvania garden (and wish it well); we don't grow it in Houston. Seed for this plant is included on my seed trade list One or more images of this plant are included in my stock photo catalog About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Lespedeza thunbergii
Some particularly helpful links to other websites
Visitors to this page have left the following comments| Carole Allard | Apr 18, 2005 | I have a WONDERFUL Lespedeza thunbergii in my yard. I have had it about six years and everyone wants it! How do I propogate it? I've read a little and they talk about "seeds" and yet, I have never seen any seeds on the plants. Only lovely fronds with all these beautiful pink/purple flowers in the Fall. All my neighbors are envious and I do want to share the beauty!
Carole, the seeds are enclosed in tan leathery husks left behind when the flowers are finished. It does not self-seed in our garden, but the seeds are not difficult to germinate inside. I have updated my page to show my germination experiences. |
| Rebecca | Oct 15, 2010 | i noticed a mention of winter, can the plant live where temperatures never dip below 40 degrees.Where can you buy seeds for the Lespedeza thunbergii?
I don't know about cold dormant requirements for this plant. Seeds should not be difficult to obtain - I usually have them on my trade/sale list. |
| Lori | May 25, 2019 | I bought a small plant of this online a few years ago. I agree its a marvelous plant. Can I propogate Lespedeza via any of the new growth from the root ball?
I never had to try to propagate that way, because our lespedeza would provide a modest supply of seedlings most years. Straightforward division wouldn't seem like a viable approach – if I recall (I've now moved away from that garden), growth would always return from the woody base, not from suckers or roots below. But if you do see promising shoots separate from the main growth, it's worth trying to grow those on separately to make new plants. |
- Seed from JLH order. Baggy 75F (58%G, starting 6d)
- Seed from '02 garden. Baggy 75F (40%G, 3-10d)
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