Chinese bushclover

This plant is a perennial herb with branching stems reaching a maximum height around two meters. It grows from a woody taproot which may exceed one meter in length and which is topped with a woody caudex. The stems are covered densely in leaves, which are each divided into leaflets up to 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) long. Flowers occur singly or in clusters of up to three in the leaf axils. Some of the flowers are cleistogamous, remaining closed and self-pollinating. The open flowers are purple, cream, white, or yellowish in color. The fruit is a legume pod containing one seed.

Lespedeza cuneata is native to eastern Asia and is also found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Australia. L. cuneata can be found by the roadside on mountain slopes and usually grows below an altitude of 2500 meters. This plant has been introduced to the United States, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. It was first planted in the US in North Carolina in 1896. It was used to control erosion and to revegetate abandoned mine sites and was used as forage for livestock. It was useful in areas susceptible to drought because its deep roots can keep it alive. A number of cultivars have been developed, including 'Arlington', 'Serala', 'AU Lotan', 'AU Donnelly', 'AU Grazer', and 'Interstate'.