Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. thunbergii f. thunbergii
Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. thunbergii f. thunbergii(Thunberg's bushclover, "Miyaginohagi")
Japanese name: ミヤギノハギ（宮城野萩） Scientific name:Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. thunbergii f. thunbergii
[Overview]
A large perennial reaching 2 m tall.
The branches are supple and long, with drooping tips, and bear flattened white hairs.
The leaves are alternate and compound with 3 leaflets; the leaflets are elliptic, 4–6 cm long.
The upper leaf surface is hairless or has sparse white hairs only on the midrib, and the underside bears flattened hairs.
The leaf margins are entire.
The stipules are small and lanceolate.
The flowers are pea-shaped and are borne two at a time in a spiral on compound racemes arising from the leaf axils.
The flowers are reddish purple.
The pods do not split open even when ripe.
[Cultivation]
It prefers sun and is easy to grow, thriving even in poor or dry ground as long as the soil is not too wet.
It is hardy to cold, but most of the aboveground part dies back in winter, so cut it back to ground level and let it send out new branches the following year.
Transplanting is easy while the plant has no leaves.
