Some
species are grown as
garden or
ornamental plants, and are used as a
forage crops, notably in the southern
United States, and as a means of
soil enrichment and for prevention of
erosion. In some areas, certain species are
invasive.
Lespedeza, like other
legumes, have
root nodules that harbor bacteria capable of
nitrogen fixation from the air into a soil-bound form that can be taken up by other plants. Growers can take advantage of this process by putting the plants in their fields to release nitrogen, so they can use less fertilizer.
L. bicolor leaves and roots contain
l-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (
lespedamine), as well as related Nω,Nω-
dimethyltryptamines and their oxides, as well as some
bufotenin. ==Species==