Silky Bush Clover, Chinese Lespedeza, Sericea Lespedeza

Growth Form:  Forb

General:   Perennial, forming dense patches; flowers July-October.

Flowers:   Solitary or in clusters of 2-3 from base of upper leaves, white to cream with purple streams from the center.

Fruits and Seeds:   October to March. Flat ovate to round single-seeded legume pod 0.12 to 0.15 in. wide. Green becoming tan.

Leaves:   Alternate, divided into three smaller leaflets, which are covered with dense, flattened hairs; leaflets wedge-shaped, narrowest at base, broadening to tip.

Stems or Branches:   Grayish-green with stiff hairs.

Threatens:   Threatens open areas of forests, prairie, woodlands, savannas.

Look-Alikes:   Slender Bush Clover (L. virginica), native, flowers purple-pink in crowded clusters, stems brown, grows in tufts. May resemble Silky Bush Clover in shaded conditions). Round-headed bush clover (L. capitata), native, flowers grow in dense clusters at the tip of the stem.

Distribution:   Introduced from Japan in 1899 to VA. In U.S. found west of Rocky Mts. throughout east. Problematic in S IL.

Other Links:  

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/lecu1.htm
http://www.gainvasives.org/weeds/lespedeza.html
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LECU