Plant DetailShow Menu

Plants that fill a similar niche:
Acalypha virginica Form
Digitaria sanguinalis Whole plant
Euphorbia maculata Leaves
Kummerowia striata has some other problems:
Common Lespedeza

Lespedeza Kummerowia striata

Other Common Name(s):

Previously known as:

  • Lespedeza striata
Phonetic Spelling
koom-er-OW-ee-uh stry-AY-tuh
Description

Lespedeza is a summer annual weed in the bean family. It occurs in fields, open woods, roadsides and other disturbed sites. The preference is full sun, mesic conditions, and sandy soil, although other soil types are tolerated.

It has been used in pastures for forage and hay and for nitrogen fixation in soils.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#summer annual weed#nitrogen fixation#deer browsing plant#warm season weed#lawn weed#bird friendly#weed#cpp
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#summer annual weed#nitrogen fixation#deer browsing plant#warm season weed#lawn weed#bird friendly#weed#cpp
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Kummerowia
    Species:
    striata
    Family:
    Fabaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    It is used as forage, hay, and green manure to enrich the soil as it fixes nitrogen.
    Life Cycle:
    Annual
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Asia
    Distribution:
    Eastern USA
    Wildlife Value:
    Seeds are eaten by game birds and songbirds. The foliage is eaten by deer and other herbivores.
    Edibility:
    Lespedeza is commonly used as forage in pastures. It may be grazed or cut for hay when in 1/2 bloom stage.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Annual
    Weed
    Habit/Form:
    Ascending
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Medium
    Texture:
    Fine
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Dry
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Type:
    Legume
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Width:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    Fruits are 0.2 inch long legumes and each contain a single seed.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Pink
    Purple/Lavender
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Head
    Insignificant
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Lipped
    Flower Petals:
    4-5 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    1/4 inch long 5 petaled flowers appear in the leaf axils in groups of 1-3. They can be upright or horizontal. The shape is similar to pea flowers with the lower petal being pink or purple and the to smaller upper petals are white. Bloom time is mid-summer for 1-2 months.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Type:
    Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Elliptical
    Oblong
    Obovate
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Width:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Description:
    The alternate compound leaves are trifoliate with leaflets being ΒΌ-1" long and about one-third to one-half as much across. The leaflets are broadly oblong-elliptic to oblong-obovate in shape and margins are entire.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Purple/Lavender
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Surface:
    Hairy (pubescent)
    Stem Description:
    The stems are purplish with appressed white hairs that point downward.
  • Landscape:
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Drought
    Problems:
    Weedy