Chinese lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)

Synonyms: Lespedeza sericea, Lespedeza juncea var. sericea, Anthyllis cuneata

Common Names: Sericea lespedeza, sericea, Chinese bush clover, silky bush clover

Description:

Chinese lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata), better known as sericea lespedeza, is a tough perennial plant in the pea family from eastern and central Asia that was planted across the United States starting in 1896 for erosion control, hay, and forage on poor soils [1][4]. It has since escaped and spread widely, and it is one of the harder invasive plants to get rid of because its seeds can stay alive in the soil for 20 years or more [1][2]. MISIN tracks it because it forms dense single-species stands that crowd out native plants and provide poor food and cover for wildlife [1][3].

Habit:

Chinese lespedeza is an upright, leafy plant that grows about 3 to 6 feet tall, with many branches and several stems from the base [1][2]. The stems are herbaceous to slightly woody [2]. The leaves are divided into three small leaflets, each about 1/4 to 1 inch long and shaped like a wedge ? narrow at the base, widest above the middle, and ending in an abrupt tiny sharp point [1][2]. The leaflets are covered in flattened, silky hairs and show a distinctive "fishbone" pattern of side veins, which is a key clue [2]. Small flowers, about 1/4 to 3/8 inch long and cream-colored with purple or pink markings, appear in clusters along the stems from July to October [2].

It is easiest to identify in late summer and fall, when it is in flower and the cream-and-purple blooms and silky, wedge-shaped leaflets stand out [2]. After frost, the stiff, leafy stems turn tan and often stay standing through winter, so dense, light-brown patches on roadsides and old fields are a good winter clue [1][2].

At-a-glance cues:

1. Leaves divided into three wedge-shaped leaflets ? narrow at the base, widest near the tip, with a tiny sharp point [1][2]
2. Leaflets covered in flattened silky hairs, with a "fishbone" vein pattern [2]
3. Small cream-colored flowers with purple or pink markings, blooming July to October [2]
4. Upright leafy plant 3 to 6 feet tall whose tan stems often stand through winter [1][2]

Leaves:

1. Arrangement: alternate along the stem, each leaf divided into three leaflets [1][2]
2. Shape: leaflets wedge-shaped ? narrow at the base, widest above the middle, ending in a small sharp point; about 1/4 to 1 inch (0.5 to 2.5 cm) long [1][2]
3. Venation: a distinctive "fishbone" pattern of side veins [2]
4. Surface: covered in flattened, silky hairs [2]

Stems:

1. Habit: a warm-season perennial, growing as several upright stems from the base; about 3 to 6 feet (up to 2 m) tall [1][2]
2. Texture: herbaceous to somewhat woody, with many leafy branches [2]
3. Roots: a deep taproot [3]

Flowers:

1. Color: cream-colored (whitish) with purple or pink markings [2]
2. Shape: small pea-like flowers about 1/4 to 3/8 inch long [2]
3. Arrangement: in small clusters where the leaves meet the stem [2]
4. Bloom time: July to October [2]

Fruit and seeds:

1. Fruit type: a small, single-seeded pod up to about 1/8 inch long that does not split open [1][2]
2. Seed: small, shiny, slightly flattened, tan to olive, purple, or brown [2]
3. Output: enormous ? roughly 1,000 to 1,500 seeds per stem, and dense stands can produce many millions of seeds per acre [1][2]
4. Dispersal: seeds spread in soil and water, on mowers and equipment, and in contaminated hay; they can stay alive in the soil for 20 years or more [1][2]

Habitat:

Chinese lespedeza is native to eastern and central Asia [1][4]. It was first planted in the United States in 1896 for erosion control and pasture, and it is now widespread across the eastern and central states [1][5].

It grows in open, sunny, disturbed places and tolerates poor, dry, and eroded soils thanks to its deep taproot [1][3]. Look for it on roadsides, fence rows, old fields, prairies, open woodlands, gravel bars, and the edges of ponds, swamps, and wetlands [1][2]. It needs roughly 30 inches of rain a year and spreads readily into any disturbed, open ground [1].

Reproduction:

Chinese lespedeza spreads only by seed, and it makes a staggering amount [1]. A single stem can produce 1,000 to 1,500 seeds, and dense stands can shed many millions of seeds per acre [1][2]. The seeds travel in soil and water, on mowing and farm equipment, and mixed into hay, which is how it reaches new ground [1]. Most importantly, the seeds can stay alive in the soil for 20 years or more, so a patch keeps coming back long after the visible plants are gone [1][2].

It is a warm-season perennial that grows through the summer, flowers from July into fall, and sets seed quickly ? young plants can flower within a few months of sprouting [1]. For control timing, the key is to stop seeds from forming: cut or mow plants when the flower buds appear, before the seed ripens, and plan to repeat the effort for several years because of the long-lived seed bank [3].

Impact and Damage:

For landowners, Chinese lespedeza is a poor-quality plant that takes over pastures and fields. Despite being planted as forage, its leaves are high in condensed tannins and become tough and fibrous with age, which makes it hard to digest and unpalatable to livestock and wildlife [1][3]. As animals avoid it and graze the better native plants instead, the lespedeza spreads further [3]. Its deep taproot also lets it outcompete other plants for water, especially in dry spells [3].

For natural area stewards, it is a serious invader. It forms dense, single-species stands that crowd out native plants ? in invaded Kansas oak savannas, native plant cover fell from about 79 percent to just 5 percent, and native plant diversity dropped threefold [1]. Its roots are allelopathic, releasing chemicals that hold back the germination and growth of nearby plants [1][3]. The dense stands also degrade wildlife habitat: one study found vertebrate wildlife use about 55 percent lower and insect use about 73 percent lower on invaded prairie than on uninvaded prairie [1]. Combined with a seed bank that lasts decades, this makes Chinese lespedeza one of the most persistent invasive plants to manage [1].

Similar species:

Chinese lespedeza is confused with native bush clovers (lespedezas). The surest checks are its cream-colored flowers with purple markings, its wedge-shaped silky leaflets, and the "fishbone" vein pattern on the leaflets [1][2].

Slender lespedeza (Lespedeza virginica) is a native bush clover that grows in the same kinds of places. It is told apart by its light to dark pink flowers ? not cream with purple markings ? and by its leaflets, which lack the distinct fishbone vein pattern of Chinese lespedeza [2].

Roundhead lespedeza (Lespedeza capitata) is another native bush clover. It has fewer branches and broader, longer leaflets than Chinese lespedeza, and it carries its flowers and seeds in dense, rounded heads rather than small clusters scattered along leafy stems [1][2].

Hairy lespedeza (Lespedeza hirta) is a native with conspicuously hairy stems and leaves and rounded leaflets, unlike the narrow, wedge-shaped, silky-haired leaflets and fishbone veins of Chinese lespedeza [2].

Monitoring and rapid response:

Signs to watch for:

1. Dense, leafy, upright plants 3 to 6 feet tall on roadsides, old fields, and disturbed open ground [1][2]
2. Three wedge-shaped, silky leaflets with a "fishbone" vein pattern, and cream flowers with purple markings from July to October [2]
3. Tan, stiff stems standing in dense patches through winter [1][2]

What you can do:

1. Hand-pull or dig out young plants and small patches, taking as much of the deep taproot as possible, while the soil is moist [3]
2. Cut or mow plants when the flower buds appear, before seeds form, and bag any seed-bearing material so it cannot spread [3]
3. Do not move soil or hay that may carry seed, and clean seeds off mowers, tools, and boots [1]
4. Plan to repeat removal for several years ? the seed bank can stay alive for two decades, so one season's work is not enough [1][2]
5. For natural areas, volunteer crews can knock back larger stands with repeated mowing at the flower-bud stage and with prescribed fire as part of a multi-year plan, prioritizing small outlying patches first; expect a four-to-five-year commitment because of the long-lived seed bank [3]

When to call a professional:

1. Large or well-established stands that keep returning from the seed bank despite cutting and digging [1][3]
2. Pasture, prairie, or right-of-way infestations that need a coordinated, multi-year plan combining several methods [3]
3. For chemical control options, contact a licensed applicator or your local cooperative extension office.

Report sightings to MISIN. Help track this species' spread by submitting observations through the MISIN web site or the MISIN mobile app (Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS). Photos at multiple angles paired with a precise GPS location are the most valuable data for confirming new occurrences and triggering rapid-response review.

Credits:

1. Munger GT (2004). Lespedeza cuneata. In: Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. research.fs.usda.gov
2. Missouri Department of Conservation. "Sericea Lespedeza" (field guide). mdc.mo.gov
3. Missouri Department of Conservation. "Sericea Lespedeza Control." mdc.mo.gov
4. Plants of the World Online (POWO), Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Lespedeza cuneata (Dum.-Cours.) G.Don. powo.science.kew.org
5. USDA NRCS Plants Database. Lespedeza cuneata (Dum.-Cours.) G.Don. plants.usda.gov

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