Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)

Sericea lespedeza or Chinese bush clover is an introduced perennial legume native to eastern Asia. It was first recognized as a potential weed problem in southeast Kansas in the early 1980s. Sericea lespedeza is most common in the eastern third of Kansas but has spread westward, with over 70 counties reporting its occurrence statewide. More than 500,000 acres are currently infested by sericea lespedeza. It was declared a statewide noxious weed July 1, 2000. Sericea lespedeza is the first federally listed crop to be declared a noxious weed. Sericea lespedeza is recognized for its tolerance of drought, acidity and shallow soils of low fertility. It will tolerate soils ranging from very acidic to slightly alkaline, but is best adapted to a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. It does best on clay and loamy soils that are deep, fertile and well drained, but will also grow on poor sites. It has few insect and disease problems. Sericea lespedeza is adapted to climatic conditions extending from Florida to Texas northward to Nebraska, and eastward to the Atlantic Coast, through the states of Michigan and New York. It grows best where annual precipitation is 30 inches or more and has survived winter temperatures of –17 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Plant

Sericea lespedeza is a shrubby, deciduous perennial about 2 to 5 feet tall. Stems may be single or clustered and contain numerous branches. Annual growth begins from buds located on stem bases or the crown about 1 to 3 inches below ground. Stems and branches are densely leaved. Leaves are trifoliate and attached by short petioles. Leaves are club or wedge-shaped (wider at the tip than the base) ¼ to 1 inch long, and 1/16 to ¼ inch wide, with round to flat tips. The lower leaf surface has silky hairs and scale-like stipules occur on stems.

Sericea Flowers

The Flowers

The flowers are yellowish-white with purple to pink markings from mid July to early October. The flowers occur in clusters of 1 to 3 in the upper leaf axils. Flowers are ¼ inch long and fused at the base.

The Seeds

The seeds are 1/16 to 1/4 inches long and tan or greenish in color.

Competitive Ability

Established sericea lespedeza plants will reduce or eliminate competing vegetation. It is relatively slow to establish, having a rather weak, vulnerable seedling stage. At the same time, this opportunistic invader will establish itself in full sun or partial shade. Sericea lespedeza tolerates shade quite well, establishing in dense shade where direct sunlight does not reach.

Also a Forage

Sericea lespedeza has been recognized as a quality forage due to its high levels of crude protein. However, livestock do not like to graze sericea lespedeza that is high in tannins. Tannins bind with proteins causing them to be unavailable for digestion. This combination makes sericea lespedeza unpalatable and reduces intake and digestibility. The level of tannins appears to increase with maturity of the plant, high air temperatures, and low rainfall. The tannins also reduce insect feeding.

Other lespedezas

Several species of lespedeza occur in Kansas and all are perennial except Korean and common lespedeza. These two annuals are introduced and commonly used in tamegrass pastures and are a valuable forage in southeast Kansas. Native perennial lespedezas in Kansas include roundhead, violet, and slender lespedeza. None of these species have shown the invasive nature of sericea lespedeza.
Slender lespedeza is the easiest to confuse with sericea lespedeza. Slender lespedeza has the same tall, coarse, branched stems as sericea lespedeza but has different colored flowers and a different leaf shape. Flower color of slender lespedeza ranges from purple to pink and the leaves are linear or elliptical with both a rounded tip and base.

Sericea lespedeza

Slender lespedeza

“Team Sericea Lespedeza” has been assembled to develop operating protocols for coordinating research and education and to develop funding. The team includes members of organizations and agencies from Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Nebraska, as well as representatives from commercial firms.