Tall Lespedeza

Lespedeza stuevei

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

Photographs are not available yet.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

26CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Lespedeza

Adelphia petrellaRusty-Banded Adelphia
Aristotelia roseosuffusellaPink-Washed Aristotelia
Automeris ioIo Moth
Caenurgina erechteaClover Looper Moth, Common Grass Moth, Forage Looper
Cecropterus bathyllusSouthern Cloudywing
Cecropterus confusisConfusing Cloudywing, Confused Cloudy Wing
Cecropterus lyciadesHoary Edge
Cecropterus pyladesNorthern Cloudywing
Choristoneura obsoletanaObsolete Leafroller
Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly

Show all 26

Cupido comyntasEastern Tailed-Blue
Dasylophia anguinaBlack-Spotted Prominent
Epargyreus clarusSilver-Spotted Skipper
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
Pococera scortealisLaspedeza Webworm
Ptichodis herbarumCommon Ptichodis
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Stilbosis tesquellaHog-Peanut Leaf-Sewer
Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
Utetheisa ornatrixOrnate Moth, Pink Underwing, Rattlebox Moth, Bella Moth
Anarsioses aberrans
Aristotelia lespedezae
Cosmopterix lespedezae
Porphyrosela desmodiella

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

16BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Lespedeza

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

4BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Lespedeza

Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Fabaceae
Flower color: Pink or purple

Growing sources and scope

Flower color · “Pink or purple” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Height · “Up to about 5 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Light · “Partial shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Dry; Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

Tall Lespedeza; Velvety Lespedeza

Conservation status

Kentucky rank	S2S3
Global rank	G4? [G5]
KY status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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