U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Threatened and Endangered Species Prairie Bush Clover ( leptostachya) The prairie bush clover is a threatened Alkaloids from wild are used as species. Threatened species are animals the active agents in anesthetics, and plants that are likely to become insecticides, anticancer drugs and muscle endangered in the foreseeable future. relaxants. Loss of prairie bush clover Endangered species are animals and would eliminate forever the opportunity plants that are in danger of becoming for future biological research and the extinct. Identifying, protecting, and potential for such medical and restoring endangered and threatened agricultural benefits. species is the primary objective of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's What does prairie bush clover look endangered species program. like? Prairie bush clover is a member of the What is prairie bush clover and where pea family. Also known as slender-leaved does it occur? bush clover, it has a clover-like leaf Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza comprised of three leaflets about an inch leptostachya) is a federally threatened long and a quarter inch wide. Flowering prairie found only in the tallgrass plants are generally between nine and prairie region of four midwestern states. eighteen inches tall with the flowers loosely arranged on an open spike. It is a member of the bean family and a midwestern “endemic” – known only The pale pink or cream colored flowers from the region of the bloom in mid-July. The entire plant has a upper Mississippi River Valley. grayish-silver sheen, making it easy to distinguish from its more round-leaved Why be concerned about prairie bush cultivated relative, the sweet clover Photo by USFWS; Phil Delphey clover? (Melilotus species). The only closely The showy pink flowers of prairie bush Like all native species, prairie bush related bush clover species that is clover are less often seen than the clover has its own specific niche in the widespread throughout the range of silvery-green pods because of the plant's ecosystem and its own unique prairie bush clover is the round headed short blooming season and its ability to relationships to other plants and animals bush clover. This plant is similar in color produce pods directly from flowers that with which it lives. The loss of prairie but more robust, with leaflets about 1-1/2 never open. bush clover could result in the inches long and 3/8 inches wide and a violation of any state law protecting the disappearance of as yet unknown tight round flowering head. The more species. dependent species such as tiny predatory southern Virginia bush clover (Lespedeza insects specialized to live on its seeds. virginica) overlaps the range of prairie In addition to its Federal status, prairie bush clover in . Although it has bush clover is listed as endangered or Prairie bush clover possesses a unique slender leaves like the prairie bush threatened in each of the four states genetic and chemical makeup, different clover, Virginia bush clover can be where it occurs. from that of any other species. This distinguished by the fact that its leaves genetic information has an unknown are closer together on the stem and its Specific provisions of state law vary from potential value. For example, cultivated flowers are the brighter pink. state to state and can be obtained from crops such as wheat and corn have been the appropriate state contact listed at developed and improved by using wild What laws protect prairie bush clover? the end of this fact sheet. relatives as breeding stock. Prairie bush Prairie bush clover was listed as clover and round headed bush clover threatened under the Endangered As a general guideline, citizens should () provide the only Species Act in February 1987. The contact these agencies before engaging potential native genetic stock for Endangered Species Act prohibits the in any action that would alter a breeding of cold tolerant bush clovers removal or destruction of prairie bush population of prairie bush clover, suitable for the midwest. clover on Federal lands or in knowing including the removal of plants or harvest of seeds for research or for computerized databases of the state's Although prescribed burns are an commercial sale. Natural Heritage Program and is used important prairie management tool, for environmental review and burning every year, with no years of rest, It is not a violation of law for private land conservation planning. A federally- may be harmful to prairie bush clover. owners to continue agricultural activities appointed recovery team uses this Annual burns may result in a cover of on their own lands where prairie bush information to help the U.S. Fish and native warm-season grasses that is too clover occurs. Although heavy summer Wildlife Service plan for the protection dense. grazing appears to have an adverse effect of the species and to assess progress on prairie bush clover, populations toward its recovery. At times when fire cannot be used to exposed to light grazing appear to be less control shrubby invasion, handcutting or affected. Information from these databases is haying may be used to maintain the open available to consulting firms and state prairie condition required by prairie bush The effect of mowing remains unknown, agencies preparing environmental clover for flowering. although the concentration of bush assessments of proposed projects. clover in unmown areas of hayland Whom do I contact? suggests that long term late-summer Where is prairie bush clover protected? In Illinois Contact: mowing removes the seeds, thus Approximately 40 percent of the known Illinois Department of Natural reducing population size. prairie bush clover sites are protected as Resources dedicated state nature preserves, Office of Resource Conservation Caution should be exerted to assure that scientific and natural areas and One Natural Resources Way Springfield, IL 62711 do not affect bush clover preserves managed by private (217/782-2685) populations. Users of herbicides should conservation organizations such as The always be sure to follow label directions Nature Conservancy. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and restrictions. 1511 47th Avenue A large number of prairie bush clover Moline, IL 61265 Why is prairie bush clover rare? sites occur on private lands where (309/757-5800) Prairie bush clover’s rarity is probably farmers or other landowners have In Contact: best explained by the loss of its tallgrass maintained the species through conservation-minded agricultural Conservation and Recreation Division prairie habitat. At the beginning of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources 19th century, native prairie covered practices. Many landowners are proud to have such a rare species on their land 502 E 9th St. almost all of Illinois and Iowa, a third of Des Moines, IA 50319-0034 and keep the plant in mind when and six percent of . (515-281-3891) Prairie with moderately damp to dry planning agricultural activities. Prairie soils favored by prairie bush clover was bush clover persists on lightly grazed U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service also prime cropland; today only scattered prairie pastures, haylands, and prairie 1511 47th Avenue remnants of prairie can be found in the remnants that families have maintained Moline, IL 61265 four states. Many of today’s prairie bush for their own enjoyment. (309/757-5800) clover populations occur in sites that escaped the plow because they were too How are prairie bush clover preserves In Minnesota Contact: Minnesota Natural Heritage Program steep or rocky. managed? Department of Natural Resources Prairie bush clover is one of many native Box 7, 500 Lafayette Road How is prairie bush clover threatened? prairie species that occur in prairie St. Paul, Minnesota 55155 preserves. Frequent fires historically Prairie bush clover is listed as a federally (651/259-5136) maintained the composition and treeless threatened species because it is likely to structure of the tall-grass prairie. become endangered with extinction in all U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Today’s remnants are often invaded by 4101 American Blvd. E. or a significant portion of its range. non-native grasses that create a buildup Bloomington, Minnesota 55425-1665 Some of the surviving populations are of mulch and by woody species that (612/725-3548) threatened by conversion of pasture to shade out bush clover populations. For cropland, overgrazing, agricultural these reasons, natural area managers In Wisconsin Contact: expansion, application, urban have reintroduced prescribed fires as a Bureau of Endangered Resources expansion, rock quarrying, and Department of Natural Resources way of maintaining the natural balance of transportation right-of-way maintenance P.O. Box 7921 species in the prairie ecosystem and and rerouting; hybridization with the Madison, Wisconsin 53707 remove invasive woody plants by cutting more common round-headed bush clover (608/267-5037) and spot application of herbicide. has also been identified as a potential threat in some areas. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Such fires are carefully planned and 2061 Scott Tower Drive controlled by teams of trained managers. New Franken, Wisconsin 54229 Who knows the location of prairie bush Research suggests that although (920/866-1717) clover populations? summer fires can be detrimental to Illinois Natural Areas InvAentory Up-to-date information on the status and emerging prairie bush clover plants, location of populations is maintained in early spring fires are not harmful. Illinois Department ofNovember Conser- 2009 vation