Lespedeza thunbergii explained

Lespedeza thunbergii is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names Thunberg's bushclover, Thunberg's lespedeza, and shrub lespedeza. It is native to the eastern Himalayas, China, Korea, and Japan.

This species produces annual stems up to 20NaN0 tall and 0.5inches in diameter. They die back completely at the end of the season. The abundant pink to purplish flowers bloom in late summer. The fruit is a legume pod containing black seeds.^[1]

Five subspecies are accepted:

• Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. elliptica – eastern Himalayas to central China
• Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. formosa – southeastern China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan
• Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. patens – Japan (northern and central Honshu)
• Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. satsumensis – Japan (Kagoshima Prefecture)
• Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. thunbergii – central and southern China, Korea, central and southern Japan, and the Ryukyu Islands

The specific epithet thunbergii refers to the 18th-century Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thunberg.^[2]

In cultivation this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^{[3] [4]} Cultivars include 'VA-70', 'Amquail',^[1] 'White Fountain', and 'Gibraltar'.^[5] This species has the capacity to become invasive.^[1]

External links

• • USDA Plants Profile

Notes and References

1. http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_leth4.pdf Lespedeza thunbergii.
2. Book: Harrison, Lorraine. RHS Latin for gardeners. 2012. Mitchell Beazley. United Kingdom. 9781845337315. 224.
3. Web site: RHS Plant Selector - Lespedeza thunbergii. 3 October 2020.
4. Web site: AGM Plants - Ornamental . July 2017 . 59 . Royal Horticultural Society . 21 March 2018.
5. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/e268/lespedeza-thunbergii.aspx Lespedeza thunbergii.