Lespedeza pilosa
Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
What it is like
Lespedeza pilosa is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). 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): 0.6
Where it is found
Thickets, waste slopes and grasslands below 1000 metres in Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang and Zhejiang Provinces.
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Young leaves - cooked.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The whole plant is used medicinally for dispelling rheumatalgia, invigorating the stomach, regulating the flow of vital energy, and as a sedative.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
Other
Rating:
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. 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. 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: Perennial
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist