Thunberg's lespedeza
Lespedeza thunbergii · Fabaceae
Thunberg's lespedeza (Lespedeza thunbergii) is a perennial shrub in the Fabaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 6 and warmer, down to about -3°F.
⚠ Invasive or noxious status. USDA lists this plant with an invasive or noxious weed status somewhere in its range. Check your state's noxious weed list before planting it — in some states it is illegal to sell or plant.
Both flags are quoted from USDA PLANTS, not inferred.
At a glance
| Type | shrub USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 8 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 5.7–7.2 USDA |
| Bloom | June USDA |
| Flower color | Purple USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 6 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | shrub Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It is recorded on soils from pH 5.7 to 7.2 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 6.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 8 ft, making it a plant that will finish above head height. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of June. Flowers are purple.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is summer and fall. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 35 to 65 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 210 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 18 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed, bare root and container stock. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated medium, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as multiple stem.
Role in a guild
Shrub layer. In a layered planting this is woody mid-level structure between the understory and the ground. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Lespedeza
- shrub lespedeza Lespedeza bicolor
- roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata
- hairy lespedeza Lespedeza hirta
- wand lespedeza Lespedeza virgata
Similar role and hardiness
- eastern baccharis Baccharis halimifolia
- mule-fat Baccharis salicifolia
- wintergreen barberry Berberis julianae
- stiff dogwood Cornus foemina
- autumn olive Elaeagnus umbellata
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol LETH4, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Invasive status, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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