Lespedeza virginica - Slender bush clover

Slender bush clover (Lespedeza virginica) is one of 10 native bush clovers that occur in Florida.  Its range is restricted to the western half of the Panhandle, but it ranges across much of the eastern half of the U.S. where it is common in the open to shady well-drained soils of a variety of habitats. This perennial herbaceous species, as its common name suggests, is distinguished by its very slender aspect.  It dies back to the ground in winter and reemerges again in spring,  The slender stem reaches a mature height of 2-3 feet. The compound leaves alternate up the stem and consist of 3 slender leaflets.

Flowering occurs in late spring to summer.  The pink flowers occur in small clusters near the top of the stems within the leaf axils.  They are shaped typical to other legumes with a distinct upper keel and a fused lower lip.  The flowers of all bush clovers attract the attention of a wide variety of pollinators while the plants themselves serve as hosts for several cloudywing skippers, the eastern tailed blue, and several moths.  The seeds are an important food source for bobwhite quail and various songbirds and the leaves are a nutritious food source for deer, rabbits and other herbivores.

Though not exceptionally showy, slender bush clover is an attractive and useful addition to a landscape designed for wildlife.  It has not been propagated, to the best of my knowledge, by any of the nurseries affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries, but seed is available from several out-of-state sources.  The plants pictured (rather poorly) above were grown from such seed and I will add them to the wildflower landscape I'm developing at the USF Botanical Gardens in Tampa.  At this time, I do not know how adaptable it is to conditions south of its natural range.  I'll keep you posted.