Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. thunbergii
Words: Graham Rice
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Many gardeners are unfamiliar with Lespedeza, sometimes called bush clover. But these unappreciated late summer- and autumn-flowering shrubs from North America, East Asia and Australia will surely see wider recognition now the best of them has received an Award of Garden Merit.
Two features make Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. thunbergii stand out. Firstly, its weeping habit. Ideal for tumbling over retaining walls and from raised beds, over walls at the side of steps, as ground cover on a sunny bank or even, perhaps, in a large container its arching growth is very attractive and shows the flowers off well. It reaches about 1.2m (4ft) high and with a spread of about 2.4m (8ft).
Then, from September onwards, short slender side-shoots towards the tips of the branches produce clusters of pea-like flowers in a vivid, bright rosy-purple. The foliage, as it happens, is naturally a slightly yellow-tinted shade of green which sets off the flowers especially well.
This award came as the result of a recent trial of Lespedeza, and the related pea-family shrubs Desmodium and Indigofera. The panel that assessed the trial summed up their thoughts about the plant like this: 'Fabulous plant. If planted high will create a cascade of purple flowers.'
Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. thunbergii prefers full sun and is naturally drought resistant, once established, and is not fussy about soil although dislikes winter-wet. Its one slight disadvantage is that it comes into leaf relatively late in spring. Planting an early flowering clematis to sprawl through it might will provide early colour, a form of Clematis alpina perhaps.