Garden Tip 196

I think we have all been searching for truly drought-tolerant plants because of the dry conditions of the past few summers. Three years ago, I needed a plant with an arching growth habit to plant above a wall at Highfield Hall. I chose Bush Clover, Lespedeza thunbergia.

Treated as a giant perennial or medium-sized shrub, this plant flowers in August and September in a cascade of beautiful, rosy purple flowers. Along with the attributes of great flowers and wonderful growth habit, it turns out to be the most drought-tolerant plant that I know.

Planted above a wall and in front of another wall, the plants at Highfield were started from suckers from my garden and are now five feet tall and five feet wide—all of this with no irrigation or even hand watering. Bush clover adds a great splash of color to the fall garden and is a great performer even under adverse conditions.