Common Name of Plant: Round Headed Bush Clover
Scientific Name of Plant: Lespecleza Capitata
Average Height of Plant: 2-5ft
Blooming Time: August to September
Ask the Botanist
What are the leaves like?
The leaves are compound and are alternate. Compound means that a leaf is divided into
leaflets. The leaves are horizontal to the ground and are in a whorled rotation around the stem.
They are 3 inches long and 1 inch across. They are oval shape. These leaves also have a
smooth and hairy surface, with tooth edges. They are found easy to bend and are thicker than
a sheet of paper.
What type of flowers bloom on this plant?
The flowers on this plant are creamy white with purple dots in the centers. Each flower has 5
petals with one being large, two small, and the other two hidden. They are not scented. The
flowers grow in clusters about ¾ -1 inch in diameter. The flowers normally bloom from June
to September. In late August, they’re green turning brown.
What is unusual about seedpods or seeds of this plant?
The seeds are red and feel fuzzy. Before they fall off, they turn a deep bronze in autumn. The
seeds retain their structure even in the winter. They are very small, and look like corn stocks
but with a hint of green and tan.
How is this plant important to animals? Has it also been used by people?
The seeds are an excellent food for birds during the winter. Birds that can eat this plant are:
bobwhite, mourning dove, wild turkey, and in the winter, the slate colored juncos.
Some humans make tea out of it. Bee and butterflies are attracted to it. The roots of bush
clover contain nitrogen fixing bacteria that can convert nitrogen into nitrates to fertilize the
soil. Deer, rabbits, ground hogs, and live stocks all eat this plant
Is there anything else unusual about this plant?
This plant grows well in drained soils, and also can grow in clay or infertile prairies. It’s part
of pea family. The flowers grow well in dry sandy fields but also grow in the prairie. It is
considered an endangered plant.
Pictures
Whole Plant
Leaf
http://www.ct-botanicalsociety.org/galleries/lespedezacapi.html
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/lesped
ezacapi.html
Flower
Buds and Flowers
http://www.ct-botanicalsociety.org/galleries/lespedezacapi.html
Plant in Autumn
http://www.ct-botanicalsociety.org/galleries/lespedezacapi.html
http://www.ct-botanicalsociety.org/galleries/lespedezacapi.html
Plant Emerging in the Spring