Hairy Lespedeza

Lespedeza hirta (L.) Hornem.

Pea family

Plant Type

Forb/herb

Life Cycle

Perennial

Mature Height

6.0 feet

Flower Color

White

Bloom Time

Late Summer

Growing Conditions

Light

Shade Tolerance Intolerant

Water

Water Use Low

Drought Tolerance Medium

Flood Tolerance None

Soil

Soil Types Clay, Loam, Sand

CaCO3 Tolerance Medium

Fertility Need Low

Stress Tolerance

Fire Tolerance High

Salt Tolerance None

Climate

pH Range 5.8 – 6.9

Frost-Free Days 200 days

Precipitation 30 – 60 in

Ecosystem & Wildlife

Pollinators Native Bees; Bombus; Butterflies; Larval Host (Butterfly); Larval Host (Moth)

Larval Host Achalarus lyciades, Aristotelia lespedezae, Automeris io io, Erynnis zarucco, Erynnis zarucco zarucco, Thorybes bathyllus, Thorybes pylades

Fall Color Yes

Evergreen No

Native Range

USA: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia

Regional Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.