Plant of the Moment-Lespedeza bicolor 'Yakushima'

Had a "moment" today at work. Plant of the moment to be exact.

As a gift to his wife's passion for hydrangea, our fearless leader John, ordered some 'Incrediball' and 'Invincibelle' hydrangea. In order to "fill out" the order he added other plants that tickled his fancy. Among them was Lespedeza bicolor 'Yakushima'. The order arrived today.

Now....I have blogged about lespedeza a number of times on this blog. I can not exclaim enough how much of a fan I am of this plant. Any plant...planted in a year of drought, planted in unamended sand that refuses to yield to the extremes that our summers can bring without any supplemental watering leaves me clapping my hands and jumping for joy.

Anyway, the two I grow tend to be cascading and expansive. Yakushima is not. Its a front of the border sweetie being 12-18" tall and 2-3' wide and its mounding habit lends itself to many situations.

Now don't get me wrong...lespedeza loves clay soil and planted in clay will be more lush and vigorous. Though I have not been displeased with how they have measured up in my sand. Rarely have I been able to plant something with such abandon in this sand that I grow in. This lovely and diminutive lespedeza gives me endless possibilities and for this reason it is my 'Plant of the Moment'.