Bush Clover

(Lespedeza violacea)

 

   

 

 

Color Photograph: Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Bush-Clover (Lespedeza violacea [L.] Pers.)

Identification: A tall, usually erect, heavily branched plant. Flowers pealike, pink to pink-purple. Flowers in small racemes arising from the leaf axils. Stem smooth. Leaves with 3 leaflets. Leaflets small, ovate, the top leaflet on a long stalk, and the leaf, as a whole, with a long petiole. Plant 1 to 3 feet in height.

Distribution: Minnesota in the west eastward to New England and southward to Florida and Texas.

Habitat: Bush Clover is found in dry woods and forest clearings.

Flowering period: July to September.

Similar Species: The flowers of Slender Bush Clover, Stueve's Bush Clover, and Wandlike Bush Clover have the flowers close to the stem and near the top of the plant. In contrast the flowers of Bush clover are on long flowering stalks.

Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc. 2003. All rights reserved.