Common Lespedeza (Japanese Clover)
Kummerowia striata · Warm-season, Annual, C3 legume (often functions as a summer annual weed in lawns)
Grass Family
Fabaceae (Legume family), Subfamily Faboideae; Note: This is a broadleaf weed/legume commonly appearing in turfgrass, not a true Poaceae grass.
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass (Turf context), Pasture/Forage, Erosion Control
Variety / Cultivar
Common/Wild variety; often confused with 'Kobe' Lespedeza (Kummerowia stipulacea)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 4-10; germinates in late spring/early summer; dies with the first hard frost.
About This Grass
A low-growing, nitrogen-fixing summer annual. It forms dense, dark green mats that turn bronze or brown in fall. It produces small pink/purple flowers in late summer. It is not a true grass but behaves like a turf alternative in poor soils.
Blade Characteristics
Three leaflets (trifoliate) per leaf; leaflets are oblong to oval with prominent parallel veins; tips are rounded; edges are smooth; stems are wiry and turn reddish-brown with age.
Root System
Deep, branched taproot which provides high drought resistance; lacks rhizomes or stolons but spreads aggressively via seed.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to East Asia (China, Japan, Korea); naturalized throughout the Eastern and Southern United States
Growth Habit
Prostrate, mat-forming, spreading via low-growing branched stems; highly competitive in thin turf
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun preferred; highly drought-tolerant; performs well in acidic, low-fertility, or compacted soils where true grasses fail.
Mowing & Maintenance
Extremely low mowing tolerance; can survive at 1 inch. In turf, it requires high-nitrogen fertilization and herbicides to suppress, as it thrives under low-maintenance regimes.
Special Characteristics
Excellent wear tolerance due to wiry stems; nitrogen-fixing (improves soil); highly salt tolerant; difficult to eradicate once established due to heavy seed production.
Ecological Information
Introduced species; valuable for wildlife (quail and songbirds eat the seeds); used for soil stabilization on embankments; often considered an invasive weed in manicured lawns.