Late Summer’s Garden Delight… Lespedeza thunbergii ‘Edo Shibori’: Beautiful Bush Clover, Buzzing with Bees

Lespedeza thunbergii ‘Edo Shibori’ (bi-colored bush clover)  A Bee’s Delight from Late Summer through Mid-Autumn

Ever notice how there always seems to be at least one hopping joint in every town, where the locals routinely gather for their morning coffee or to grab a quick bite at lunch? Yesterday afternoon, I met up with a friend at a just-such a café, and as usual, it was just buzzing with activity. I thought about that place this morning, when I went outside to water the pots on my terrace; noting that my garden has a similar hot-spot. Popular with all the busy bees, my bush clover, (Lespedeza thunbergii), is conveniently situated at a busy garden intersection, between the long perennial borders and the wildflower meadow. From dawn-to-dusk, this elegant-but-relaxed place is just packed with bees and butterflies. The nectar must be very sweet indeed…

Lespedeza thunbergii, ‘Edo Shibori’ – Bicolor blossoms

Lespedeza thunbergii, ‘Edo Shibori’

Of course, this is an undeniably gorgeous plant. And, I’ll readily admit that I planted Lespedeza thunbergii ‘Edo Shibori’ for purely selfish reasons. Five years ago, when I picked her up at the garden center, I was —and still am– smitten with her beautiful bi-colored blossoms and soft, graceful form. I also grow the more common cultivar, L. thunbergii ‘Gibralter’, which produces stunning, cobalt-violet hued blossoms; equally popular with the the cool-bees in my garden…

Bush clover softens the edge of my terrace here at Ferncliff

The graceful branches of bush clover sway beautifully in the breeze

Lespedeza thunbergii, which also goes by the name ‘bush clover’, is a relatively uncommon shrub —sometimes classified as a herbaceous perennial plant— native to Asia. Hardy in USDA zones 4-9, in colder climates —like mine— bush clover behaves similar to Russian sage (Perovskia antriplicifolia) and butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii): it dies back to the ground, or nearly so, every winter. In spring, I cut the shrub back hard, and it rewards me each August with a beautiful, airy shape and cascades of tiny, pea-like blossoms from late August through the end of September (Vermont). Bush clover can reach a mature size of 36-48″ high x 48-72″ wide. There are many lovely cultivars, including L. thunbergii ‘Gibralter’ —a popular and beautiful, cultivar with cobalt-violet hued flowers. Bush clover is a non-native species, and although it was introduced to the United States as a valuable food-source to wildlife, it should be noted that this plant may be considered an invasive in some areas (mainly in the southeastern US). Be sure to check with your local cooperative extension system before ordering or planting bush clover if you are in a potentially-vulnerable area (check highlighted links above).

Lespedeza thunbergii is a constant swarm of bee activity in late summer and fall

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Article and Photographs â“’ 2010 Michaela at TGE

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