Lespedeza capitata
| Lespedeza capitata | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Lespedeza capitata (common name: roundhead lespedeza)
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow it in spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in individual pots in a frame. It can be difficult to get the cuttings through their first winter, it is best to plunge the pots in a bed of ashes in a sheltered border outdoors[1].
Cultivation: Easily grown in a light loam in full sun[2].
The top growth is not very cold tolerant, although the rootstock is considerably hardier. Plants are usually cut back to the ground in all but very mild winters, though they generally resprout well from the base in the following spring and flower in late summer[3].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[4].
Range: N. America - Maine to Florida, west to Kansas and Texas.
Habitat: Dry fields[5]. Sandy open woods or open ground in Texas[6].
Edibility: The leaves have been boiled to make a tea[7].
Medicinal: The plant contains several biologically active compounds. Pharmaceutical preparations are manufactured from them[5].
An extract of the plant is of disputed utility in chronic kidney disease[5]. Experimentally, it has demonstrated antitumor activity against Walker-256 carcinosarcoma and is also reportedly effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels[5]. It is also believed to reduce blood levels of nitrogen compounds in persons with high nitrogen levels in their urine[5].
The root has been used as an antidote to poisoning[7].
The stems have been used in moxibustion in the treatment of neuralgia and rheumatism[5][7].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.