Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Performs well in infertile, dryish, sandy soils in full sun. Good drainage is essential. Tolerates drought. Avoid over fertilization. Blooms on new growth, so prune as needed in late winter to early spring. Although the roots are winter hardy to USDA Zone 4, the top growth may die to the ground in hard winters. Some gardeners simply prune plants to the ground in late winter each year.
Lespedeza bicolor is a loose, open, deciduous shrub or sub-shrub that rapidly grows to 5-10’ tall and as wide. It is commonly called bush clover because it is a shrubby plant with clover-like flowers. Primary ornamental features are trifoliate, dark green leaves (elliptic leaflets to 2” long) and drooping racemes (to 5” long) of rose-purple, pea-like flowers that bloom both at the stem tips and in the upper leaf axils in late summer. ‘Little Buddy’ is a compact form that grows upright to 3’ tall. It features a less aggressive growth rate than the species. Pea-shaped flowers are an attractive purple and bloom in summer. Trifoliate leaves are dark green changing to yellow in fall. ‘Little Buddy’ is sometime sold in commerce as a cultivar of Lespedeza thunbergii.
No serious insect or disease problems.
Border fronts. Mix with perennials.
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Missouri Botanical Garden
4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110(314) 577-5100 hours and admission
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Faust Park, 15193 Olive Blvd. Chesterfield, MO 63017(636) 530-0076 hours and admission
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Hwy. 100 & I-44 Gray Summit, MO 63039(636) 451-3512 hours and admission