Kobe Lespedeza Facts These annual legumes (Kobe & Korean) are excellent seed producers for quail and
other upland game birds. Deer graze it in the summer. Korean is earlier maturing
than Kobe but Kobe is more adapted to the South. They will reach a height of 2
feet tall, providing cover for quail. The seeds are hard and may lie on the
ground for long periods of time producing a dependable late winter food source.
Type: Warm Season Annual Legume
Origin: Eastern China, Korea, Japan
Adaptations: Wide adaptation in the lower South. Well drained, clay or
loamy soil. Tolerates acidic soil, poorer soil types.
Kobe has certainly earned a home for itself on Southern
farms, and particularly where long periods of drought occurred, for Kobe came
through the droughts where Common lespedeza was burned out. This drought
resistance is a life-saver to a farmer, and is no doubt due to the very
extensive root system and its rank growth, with larger than ordinary leaves.
Kobe usually grows to 2 to 2 1/2 feet tall.
Uses: Hay, pasture, erosion control, wild game food for deer, turkey
and quail.
Benefits: Easy to establish, low maintenance. Low fertilizer and lime
requirements.
Widely adaptable in the lower south. Well
drained, clay or loamy soil.
Nutrition: High quality in mid to late summer.
Planting:
- Rate: 30 lb. per acre or 1 lb.
per 1000sq. ft. plant 1/2 inch deep
- Time: February - March
- Method: Prepared seed bed broadcast
- Fertilize: 200 lbs. of 10-10-10 per acre at establishment - lime soil if pH is
below 5.0.
- Grazing: If grown in pasture with other grasses, graze to keep grass from
shading out the Lespedeza. Allow Lespedeza to go to seed once per year to
maintain pasture.
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