Sericea Lespedeza
Lespedeza cuneata · Warm-season, Perennial
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass or Pasture/Forage (historically introduced for erosion control)
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 9.
Grass Family
Fabaceae (Note: Often confused with grasses or found in grasslands, though it is technically a legume)
Variety / Cultivar
Common wild type
About This Grass
An upright, bushy perennial reaching heights of 2 to 5 feet with numerous slender, leafy stems. Leaves are trifoliate with wedge-shaped leaflets. Displays small, creamy-white to yellowish flowers in late summer, maturing into small, single-seeded pods.
Blade Characteristics
Not a true grass; features alternate, trifoliate compound leaves with distinct cuneate (wedge-shaped) leaflets that are oblong to linear, covered with fine appressed hairs giving a grayish-green appearance.
Root System
Deep, woody taproot system with strong branching capabilities, allowing it to survive severe droughts and making physical removal difficult.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Asia (China, Japan, Korea); naturalized throughout the eastern and southeastern United States.
Growth Habit
Stiffly erect, branching, herbaceous perennial plant forming dense stands from a woody root crown.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun; highly drought-tolerant once established; prefers well-drained soils but adapts to poor, acidic, and low-fertility soils.
Mowing & Maintenance
Difficult to control with mowing alone; frequent close mowing can weaken plants, but established stands require targeted herbicide or burning management.
Special Characteristics
High tannins reduce palatability to livestock as it matures; highly aggressive invasive weed in pastures and native prairies, difficult to eradicate due to a massive long-lived seed bank.
Ecological Information
Introduced species that frequently acts as a severe ecological invader, outcompeting native vegetation in grasslands and prairies, though sometimes utilized for quail cover and erosion control in depleted soils.