Round-headed Bush Clover (Lespedeza capitata): white Minnesota wildflowers

Round-headed Bush Clover

Plant Info
Also known as:	Rabbit foot, Roundhead Lespedeza
Scientific name:	Lespedeza capitata
Family:	Pea (Fabaceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun; dry fields
Bloom season:	late summer, early fall
Plant height:	2 to 5 feet
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park Rice Creek Trail Corridor

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Flower:: Numerous 1½-inch round flower heads of hairy bracts in the upper half of the plant. A dense cluster of flower heads may be at the top of the plant. Individual flowers are about ¼-inch across, white with a spot of purple at the throat, 1 large petal at the top and 2 small petals below. Usually only a few flowers are open at a time.
Leaves and stem:: Leaves are in groups of 3, alternately attached at the stem. Each leaf is up to 3 inches long and to 1 inch wide, toothless, usually rounded on both ends but may have a pointed tip. The stem is covered in fine white hairs; the leaves may have a silky look from dense hairs as well.
Fruit:: As seeds mature, the flower heads turn a rusty brown. They retain their shape through the winter.