Lespedeza frutescens
violet bush-clover [Blooms: Aug-Sep]
Violet bush-clover (Lespedeza frutescens) flowers and fruit. Bottom right: lateral view of a violet bush-clover. This particular flower is unusual because the stamens with their yellow anthers and the style (with a tiny terminal stigma) protrude from between the two petals that constitute the keel. Top right: two violet bush-clover flowers seen from above. All five of the petals — the large purple banner, the two lateral petals, and the two white petals that make up the keel — can be clearly seen, as well as the tips of two sepals (arrows) peeking out from beneath the banner. Top left: a lateral view from slightly below a violet bush-clover flower. Note the light green calyx made up of the fused bases of the five lance-shaped sepals. Bottom left: a composite image of two violet bush-clover seedpods, each containing a single seed. The seedpod on the left is immature; the seedpod on the right is mature (as indicated by its dark brown color). Note that both seedpods are nestled in the remnants of the flower’s calyx.
Violet bush-clover produces racemes or sparsely branched panicles of 3-8 flowers from the tips of stems or axils of middle or upper leaves; the inflorescences are borne on long peduncles that extend above/beyond the leaves. Individual flowers are 6-10 mm long and pea-like; they include a light green calyx with five teeth that is half the length of the flower; five whitish purple to purple petals (one upright banner with a basal patch of rosy purple; two lower, outer wings shorter than the keel; and two lower, inner petals that make up the keel); 10 stamens; and a pistil with a single style. Both the stamens and style are usually hidden within the keel. Fertilized flowers produce small green, single-seeded seedpods that lack sticky hairs (unlike the much-larger tick-trefoils); at maturity, the seedpods are 4-7 mm long and dark brown.
Violet bush-clover (Lespedeza frutescens) leaves. Top: a trifoliate compound leaf of violet bush-clover in situ on a stem. Note that the petiolule (stalk) of the apical leaflet is longer than those on the lateral leaflets. Bottom: a single leaf of violet bush-clover showing the upper surface of the leaf/leaflets (left image) and the underside of the same leaf/leaflets (right image). Note the smooth margins of the leaflets and the long petiole of the leaf as a whole.
Violet bush-clover is an uncommon native perennial found in open habitats; it is a semi-erect, sprawling plant that can reach heights of 6-24″. The stems are light green to brown, round in section, and fuzzy with appressed, short hairs; the stems branch relatively frequently. The leaves are alternate and trifoliate compound, occurring throughout the length of the stems, with a gradient in leaf size along the stem (smaller apically). The leaflets are 1/2-1.5″ long and half to a third as wide. They are oblong-elliptical with rounded tips and bases and smooth margins; the terminal leaflet is slightly larger than the lateral leaflets and has a longer petiolule (2-5 mm) than the lateral leaflets (0.5-1 mm). The leaf petioles are 1/4-1.5″ long, flanked by small stipules that tend to drop off.
A stand of violet bush-clover (Lespedeza frutescens) growing at the top of the bank northwest of the northern end of 59th St. Harbor Bridge. The insert on the lower left shows an enlarged view of a typical violet bush-clover flower and two unopened buds.
Violet bush-clover is an uncommon native perennial found in open habitats; it is a semi-erect, sprawling plant that can reach heights of 6-24″. The stems are light green to brown, round in section, and fuzzy with appressed, short hairs; the stems branch relatively frequently. The leaves are alternate and trifoliate compound, occurring throughout the length of the stems, with a gradient in leaf size along the stem (smaller apically). The leaflets are 1/2-1.5″ long and half to a third as wide. They are oblong-elliptical with rounded tips and bases and smooth margins; the terminal leaflet is slightly larger than the lateral leaflets and has a longer petiolule (2-5 mm) than the lateral leaflets (0.5-1 mm). The leaf petioles are 1/4-1.5″ long, flanked by small stipules that tend to drop off. Racemes or sparsely branched panicles of 3-8 flowers arise from the tips of stems or axils of middle or upper leaves; the inflorescences are borne on long peduncles that extend above/beyond the leaves. Individual flowers are 6-10 mm long and pea-like; they include a light green calyx with five teeth that is half the length of the flower; five whitish purple to purple petals (one upright banner with a basal patch of rosy purple; two lower, outer wings shorter than the keel; and two lower, inner petals that make up the keel); 10 stamens; and a pistil with a single style. Both the stamens and style are usually hidden within the keel. Fertilized flowers produce small green, single-seeded seedpods that lack sticky hairs (unlike the much-larger tick-trefoils); at maturity, the seedpods are 4-7 mm long and dark brown.
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![Evening primrose — clusters of yellow flowers occur at the apex of the plant. The flowers are 1-2" across, with four 1/2-1" long green sepals strongly reflected over a long (3/4-2"), green, cylindrical floral tube (the ovary is located just above the leaf axil), four heart-shaped yellow petals, eight stamens, and a single style with an X-shaped stigma. The sepals typically remain connected (in pairs) along one edge until the flower opens. The seedpods develop within the ovary (the base of the elongate floral tube); they are hairy, urn-shaped with rounded edges, and have four or eight small lobes on the apex. The seeds are claimed to remain viable in the soil for up to 70 years. The flowers open at dusk and close early in the day. — — — There are (at least) three evening primroses in Jackson Park — common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora), and hairy evening primrose (Oenothera villosa). They are easily confused with each other. (Judging by the conflicts between the accounts on Illinois Wildflowers [https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/], Minnesota Wildflowers [https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/], and Missouri Plants [http://www.missouriplants.com/], even the experts are confused.) All three species have yellow flowers with an X-shaped stigma, reflected sepals, petals with a small notch in their apex, stems that may be red or green, and lance-shaped leaves with short, widely-spaced teeth. Northern evening primrose is distinguished by (1) the presence of a knob or ridge at the tip of each sepal which the other two species lack (2) a seed capsule with four robust, flaring lobes with rounded tips at the apex of the seed capsule, and (3) a stigma that is very robust and almost fills the opening of the flower. Northern evening primrose has green to yellowish-green sepals. Hairy evening primrose (often but not always) has (1) striped or reddish-tinged sepals (check the buds where this character is often easier to see), (2) flowers that turn orange as they begin to senesce (although the reliability of this character is uncertain), and (3) always has glandular hairs covering the ovary that have "pimple-like" bright-red bases; these red pimples may also occur on the stems. All three species are somewhat similar to prairie sundrop (O. pilosella); the latter has very hairy stems and leaves, and translucent lines that radiate from the base of the petals in the flowers.](https://jacksonparkwildflowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Oenothera_biennis-1t-300x300.jpg)
![Northern evening primrose flowers are 3/4-1.5" across, have four yellow, heart-shaped petals, eight yellow stamens, and a cross-shaped stigma on a modest style; the stamens are as long or longer than the petals and the stigma is nearly fills the floral opening. At the base of the flower are four sepals 1/2-1" long, that bend back along the 3/4-1.5" long floral tube as the flower develops with pairs of sepals attached along one edge until the flower opens. Only northern evening primrose with a distinct ridge or knob near the tips of the sepals. The seed capsule develops from the ovary; it is 3/4-1.5" long, cylindrical but tapering slightly towards the tip, with four robust, flaring lobes at the tip. — — — There are (at least) three evening primroses in Jackson Park — common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora), and hairy evening primrose (Oenothera villosa). They are easily confused with each other. (Judging by the conflicts between the accounts on Illinois Wildflowers [https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/], Minnesota Wildflowers [https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/], and Missouri Plants [http://www.missouriplants.com/], even the experts are confused.) All three species have yellow flowers with an X-shaped stigma, reflected sepals, petals with a small notch in their apex, stems that may be red or green, and lance-shaped leaves with short, widely-spaced teeth. Northern evening primrose is distinguished by (1) the presence of a knob or ridge at the tip of each sepal which the other two species lack (2) a seed capsule with four robust, flaring lobes with rounded tips at the apex of the seed capsule, and (3) a stigma that is very robust and almost fills the opening of the flower. Northern evening primrose has green to yellowish-green sepals and is the only one of the three evening primroses to (sometimes) have reddish color on some or all of the midvein of the leaves. Hairy evening primrose (often but not always) has (1) striped or reddish-tinged sepals (check the buds where this character is often easier to see), (2) flowers that turn orange as they begin to senesce (although the reliability of this character is uncertain), and (3) always has glandular hairs covering the ovary that have "pimple-like" bright-red bases; these red pimples may also occur on the stems. All three species are somewhat similar to prairie sundrop (O. pilosella); the latter has very hairy stems and leaves, and translucent lines that radiate from the base of the petals in the flowers.](https://jacksonparkwildflowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Oenothera_parviflora-1t-300x300.jpg)
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