Chinese Lespedeza, Sericea lespedeza
Lespedeza cuneata

Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae

What it is like

Lespedeza cuneata is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). It is frost tender. It is in flower from August to 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

Where it is found

Waste ground and grassy places all over lowland Japan. Moist shady places near water, 1700 - 2300 metres in Kashmir.

E. Asia - China, Japan, Himalayas.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Young leaves - cooked after soaking.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The whole plant is anthelmintic, depurative and tonic. A decoction is used in the treatment of testicular tuberculosis, hernia, enuresis, dental caries, toothache, infantile marasmus/ascariasis, snake and dog bites, skin ulcers, dysentery and enteritis

Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.

Depurative: Eliminates toxins and purifies the system, especially the blood.

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

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Other

Rating: 0

The plant has an extensive root system and fixes atmospheric nitrogen through bacteria that live on its roots. It is used in soil conservation schemes for renewing worn-out soils.

Soil conditioner: Plants grown to improve the structure of the soil. See also Green manures.

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. In addition to the normally pollinated sexual flowers, this species also produces clusters of cleistogamous flowers in the leaf axils. 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: 0-0

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

L. cuneata. (DumCours.)G.Don.