genus

Bush Clovers and Lespedezas

Lespedeza

Field notes

Lespedeza is a genus of some 45 species (including nothospecies) of flowering plants in the pea family (Fabaceae), commonly known as bush clovers or (particularly East Asian species) Japanese clovers (hagi). The genus is native to warm temperate to subtropical regions of eastern North America, eastern and southern Asia and Australasia.

These shrubby plants or trailing vines belong to the "typical" legumes (Faboideae), with the peas and beans, though they are part of another tribe, the Desmodieae. Therein, they are treated as type genus of the smaller subtribe Lespedezinae, which unites the present genus and its presumed closest relatives, Campylotropis and Kummerowia.

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Range

United States

Greener is more native, amber more introduced; paler is less certain. How this was decided

Key traits

Layer: Shrubs
Plant type: Perennial Shrub Wildflower

From USDA PLANTS.

Top native bush clovers and lespedezas All

Native to the US, ranked by caterpillars, then bees and other hosts, food, flowers and shelter.