Chinese Lespedeza, Juncea lespedeza
Lespedeza juncea

Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae

What it is like

Lespedeza juncea is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1.2 m (4ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in September, and the seeds ripen from October to November. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 1.2

Where it is found

River banks in Manchuria. Open places at elevations of 1000 - 2000 metres in Nepal. Mountain slopes and thickets below 1500 metres in China.

E. Asia - China, Himalayas.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Young leaves and shoots - cooked.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The juice of the roots is used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.

Other

Rating:

The twigs are used in making brooms.

Broom: Used for sweeping the floor etc.

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

Easily grown in a light loam in full sun. The top growth is not very cold tolerant, although the rootstock is considerably hardier. Plants are usually cut back to the ground in all but very mild winters, though they generally resprout well from the base in the following spring and flower in late summer. Related to L. sericea. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Propagating it: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow it in spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in individual pots in a frame. It can be difficult to get the cuttings through their first winter, it is best to plunge the pots in a bed of ashes in a sheltered border outdoors.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

L. hedysaroides. Hedysarum juncea.