Common Lespedeza (Japanese Clover)

What it looks like

Dark green, wiry, almost woody-looking plant with three small oblong leaflets per stem. The leaf veins run parallel and cross the midvein, and the stems have tiny hairs pointing downward. Small pink-purple flowers pop up where the leaves meet the stem.

Often mistaken for: Clover or other small three-leaflet lawn weeds

When it shows up in the Triangle

Grows actively from June through September here in the Triangle. It's easiest to control while it's still young.

Where you’ll see it

Shows up most in centipede lawns and other lawns with acidic, low-fertility soil.

What you can do

• Get a soil test to check pH and fertility
• Add lime if your soil is too acidic
• Feed your lawn appropriately for its grass type
• Mow at the right height to help thicken turf and crowd it out
• Pull young plants before they flower and spread seed