Lespedeza cuneata Seeds | Sericea Lespedeza
LATIN NAME: Lespedeza cuneata
COMMON NAME: Sericea Lespedeza
Plant Profile
Among the ornamental and useful plants raised from seed, Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) stands out as a perennial in the pea family. Sericea lespedeza is soft, grey-green mound of dry field, and small, cream-and-purple, pea-like flowers hide along the stems. Plant feeds soil with nitrogen, and it is a fine, generous presence of pasture and dry bank. It is a plant of open, sunny, well-drained ground. Add these qualities together and you have a species well worth a place in the garden.
Science & Biotechnology
Research touching on Lespedeza cuneata ranges from the botany of the pea family to practical horticulture, including seed handling, propagation and the selection of superior forms. It is the kind of species that plant scientists reach for when they need reliable material for propagation and selection studies.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Sericea Lespedeza has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. Sericea lespedeza is a fine, generous plant of dry field and the pasture. Small, cream-and-purple, pea-like flowers open along stems through late summer, and fine, three-parted leaves make soft, grey-green cover of dry bank, holding soil and feeding it with the nitrogen. Cut old stems down in late winter and fresh, grey-green mound will come again from the base. Beyond the establishment year, its needs are simple and few.
Bush clovers are superb forage, wildlife and erosion plants; sericea lespedeza’s condensed tannins are studied for natural parasite control in grazing animals.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Sericea Lespedeza under ordinary good conditions. Level a tray of loose seed compost, sow evenly, cover to about the seed’s own depth, and keep it moist in full light. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
Once established, Sericea Lespedeza largely looks after itself. Keep the sowing evenly moist at the start — that is the one real requirement.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Sericea Lespedeza often pair it with these related subjects: