shrubby lespedeza
(Lespedeza bicolor)
This species is Introduced in the United States
Appearance
Lespedeza bicolor is an upright semi-woody forb, 3-10 ft. (0.9-3 m) in height with many slender stems and arching branches.
Foliage
Leaves are elliptical, alternate, abundant, and three-parted. Leaflets are oval with the lower surface lighter than the upper surface.
Flowers
Flowering occurs in the summer when purple, pea-like flowers develop in clusters. Flowers are less than 0.5 in. (1.3 cm) long.
Fruit
The fruit are flat, indehiscent pods and contain one seed that measures up to 0.31 in. (8 mm) long.
Ecological Threat
Lespedeza bicolor is an extremely aggressive invader of open areas, forming dense thickets, which displace native vegetation. Native to Asia and introduced into the United States in the late 1800s, it has been widely planted for wildlife habitat, especially for northern bobwhite quail.
Citations
Rawlins, K.A., R.L. Winston, C.T. Bargeron, D.J. Moorhead, and R. Carroll. 2018. New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral United States. USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team, Morgantown, West Virginia. FHTET-2017-04. Retrieved from https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/pdf/FHTET-2017-04_New%20Invaders_NE.pdf
Resources
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests - USDA Forest Service
- Fire Effects Information System - USDA Forest Service
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Invasive Listing Sources
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council - Category 1
- Indiana Invasive Species Council - Invasive Plant List
- Invasive Plant Species of West Virginia
- Invasive Species of Concern in Georgia
- Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council - Significant Threat
- Maine Invasive Plants
- Missouri SRISP Species List
- National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral
- Non-Native Invasive Plants of Arlington County, Virginia
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Invasive Plants
- South Carolina Exotic Pest Plant Council
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council
- Virginia Invasive Plant Species List
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
- West Virginia Invasive Species Strategic Plan and Volunteer Guidelines 2014
- West Virginia Native Plant Society, Flora West Virginia Project, and West Virginia Curatorial Database System, September 3, 1999
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder: Rosanae |
| Order: Fabales |
| Family: Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: Faboideae |
| Tribe: Desmodieae |
| Genus: Lespedeza |
| Lespedeza bicolor |
References
Common Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Scientific Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.