Bloomipedia
Chinese bushclover (Lespedeza cuneata)
Photo: Astra via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Chinese bushclover

Lespedeza cuneata

Chinese bushclover (Lespedeza cuneata) is a low shrub in the Fabaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly August–September across the U.S.

Introduced in the lower 48

Chinese bushclover is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 15 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in August–September.

31states where USDA records it
15Bloomipedia state lists include it
24,946U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

🚫
Regulated invasive plant in Kansas. It's on that state' official invasive plant list (Kansas: Category C noxious weed). Please don't plant or share it there. K.A.R. 4-8-44

Quick look

Lespedeza cuneata is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names Chinese bushclover and sericea lespedeza, or just sericea. It is native to Asia and is present elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes an invasive plant. Australian populations of Lespedeza juncea have sometimes been considered to belong to this species but are now considered to be distinct.

  • It belongs to the Fabaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 31 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–September. iNaturalist
  • In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–September. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,892 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #41 among the 189 flowers on our Virginia list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,331 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #46 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,785 research-grade sightings of it in Maryland, ranking #45 among the 189 flowers on our Maryland list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (749 records)
Bloom time in the 15 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
VirginiaIntroducedAugust–September3,892
North CarolinaIntroducedAugust–September3,331
MarylandIntroducedAugust–September2,785
TennesseeIntroducedfew records (30)2,180
New JerseyIntroducedfew records (37)1,426
GeorgiaIntroducedfew records (39)1,393
MissouriIntroducedfew records (17)1,113
OklahomaIntroducedfew records (12)972
ArkansasIntroducedfew records (17)969
AlabamaIntroducedfew records (29)784
South CarolinaIntroducedfew records (22)653
KentuckyIntroducedAugust–September615
DelawareIntroducedfew records (14)361
West VirginiaIntroducedfew records (13)358
KansasIntroducedfew records (5)319

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 9 of our 15 states.
See each state
Virginia
Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Virginia. 2VAC5-320-10
North Carolina
Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
Maryland
Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Maryland. COMAR 08.03.08
Tennessee
Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Tennessee. TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
New Jersey
Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New Jersey. N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1
Georgia
Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Kentucky. 400 KAR 3:040
Delaware
Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Delaware. DE rare plants 2024
Oklahoma
No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Oklahoma.
Arkansas
No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Arkansas.
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Alabama.
South Carolina
No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in South Carolina.
West Virginia
No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in West Virginia.
Kansas
No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Kansas.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Chinese bushclover in 31 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Accomack, Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Buchanan, Buckingham, Caroline, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesapeake , Chesterfield, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Greene, Halifax, Hampton , Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, New Kent, Newport News , Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Suffolk , Surry, Sussex, Virginia Beach , Warren, Wise, York.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alexander, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Bertie, Bladen, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Cherokee, Craven, Cumberland, Dare, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Iredell, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lincoln, Madison, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, Orange, Pasquotank, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Wake, Warren, Washington, Watauga, Wayne, Wilson, Yadkin.

Maryland counties with USDA records: Dorchester, Talbot.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Introduced; Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Lespedeza latissima, Lespedeza sericea, Lespedeza serpens.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 645 counties across 30 states; the most are in Virginia (78), North Carolina (67), Arkansas (56).

More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.

More Virginia flowers

Sources