Shrubby Bushclover
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Location
Butterfly Garden
Shrubby Bushclover
- Common Name: Shrubby Bushclover
- Scientific Name: Lespedeza bicolor
- Family Name: Fabaceae
- Origin: Asia
- Height: 5 to 10 ft
- Width: 5 to 10 ft
- Growth: Fast
- Zone: USDA Zones 4 through 8
- Light needs: Full sun to part shade.
- Salt tolerance: Low
- Soil/pH/Texture: Does best in well-drained, somewhat dry soils. Tolerant of infertile soil. Prefers an acidic to neutral pH between 5.5 and 6.5 but is adaptable.
- Moisture: Low water needs once established.
- Drought tolerance: High
- Pests/Diseases: No major pests or diseases.
- Growing conditions: This low-maintenance plant is very adaptable, able to tolerate poor soil and dry conditions. It is also frost tolerant, although it may die back to the ground in especially cold areas. It grows very quickly, often reaching 5 ft tall in one growing season, and will likely require cutting to control its growth, as it is considered invasive in many areas.
- Characteristics: This plant forms a loose, open shrub. Branches are thin, leggy, and drooping. Leaves are divided into three, clover-like leaflets which grow alternately along the stem. Flowers grow on small spikes which emerge along the stem directly next to leaves. The flowers are bright pink and grow in small clusters. Fruits are small, flat pods.
- Propagation: By seeds.
- Wildlife: Birds and small mammals eat the seed pods.
- Facts: This plant was introduced to the United States in the mid-1800s as an ornamental and for erosion control. It is considered invasive in some areas.
- Designer considerations: Used as a standalone shrub or as part of a mixed border. Pair with smaller plants with smooth, upright foliage to balance out this plant’s leggy, drooping appearance.