Kummerowia stipulacea aka Korean Bush Clover

Kummerowia stipulacea belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae. It is an annual: it lives for one growing season. People call it Korean clover or Korean lespedeza. Its older scientific name is Lespedeza stipulacea. It comes from the Russian Far East and temperate East Asia. Records list China, Korea, Japan, and central Taiwan. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

This plant grows fast and reaches about 1.3 feet [0.4 metres] tall. In Japan, it grows on roadsides and waste ground. Records from China place it on slopes and in grasslands. It also grows on sand dunes where sand stays fairly still. These sites in China lie 328–3,937 feet [100–1,200 metres] above sea level. The sources give no details about leaf or stem shape.

Plants For A Future gives August to September as the bloom time. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects carry pollen to help the flowers set seed. Seeds then ripen from September to October. The evidence gives no flower colour or fruit shape. Plants For A Future says to grow it from seed. Soak seeds in warm water for 24 hours before sowing. Sow them in late spring where they will grow. The source suggests spring sowing in Britain. But it notes that knowledge of growing this plant is limited.

This plant needs sun and will not grow in shade. It grows in sand, loam, and clay, even in poor soil. Soil can be mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline. Both dry and moist soil suit it. Bacteria in its roots form small lumps called nodules. These let the plant use nitrogen from the air. This helps explain its use to restore poor soils. Growers in North America use it to protect and improve ground. It grows fast, which yields plant matter for green manure. Other uses on record include improving soil and holding it in place.

Plants For A Future warns it may become a weed. The evidence names no specific pests or diseases. It lists no known food uses and no known hazards. This lack of known hazards does not prove safety for people or pets. Records of use as medicine cover the whole plant. These uses include helping urine flow and treating fever and diarrhoea. Such records show use, not proof that the treatments work.