Prairie bush-clover is a perennial species that may take five or more years to reach maturity. Once mature, adult plants may flower annually. Prairie bush-clover seeds are hard shelled and require physical scarification for germination (USFWS 1988, p. 12; Vitt et al. 2017, p. 162). Seed germination begins in May and continues through July (USFWS 1988, p. 12). Seasonal growth occurs in the first 3 to 4 weeks post-emergence from the soil for seedlings, juvenile, and sub-adult prairie bush-clover plants. Adult plants grow rapidly until they flower in mid-July. The growth and development of flowers occurs from mid-July until early September. Seed pods mature from late August to early October (USFWS 1988, p. 12). Adult prairie bush-clover plants often drop their leaves earlier than sub-adult or juvenile plants, which may keep their leaves later into autumn (USFWS 1988, p. 13). 

Prairie bush-clover is a long-lived prairie plant species. Individual prairie bush-clover plants may persist on the landscape for at least 30 years (USFWS 2021, p. 15). 

Prairie bush-clovers are capable of self-pollination but may also rely on cross pollination via wind or pollinators. 

Prairie bush-clover hybridizes with round-headed bush-clover (Lespedeza capitata). Both species are found in remnant prairie habitats and have overlapping flowering periods (USFWS 1988, p. 16). Hybrids are similar to both species but often grow larger and have broader leaflets than prairie bush-clover. 

Prairie bush-clover may be found on disturbed tallgrass prairie habitats that have been previously mowed, burned, cultivated, or grazed, in addition to undisturbed remnant prairie sites (USFWS 1988, p. 7). The species is adapted to a diverse assortment of prairie soil conditions and can occur at a variety of prairie types including dry, dry-mesic, mesic, or bedrock prairies (USFWS 2021, p. 24).

For additional information about prairie bush-clover habitat and prairie types, please see the Species Status Assessment (SSA) Report for Prairie Bush-Clover. 

Prairie bush-clover have erect stems that may grow up to 3 feet (1 meter) tall. The plant has linear or narrow oblong-shaped leaflets that are in clusters of three. The leaflets are often 0.8 to 1.6 inches (2 to 4 cm) long and 0.1 to 0.3 inches (2 to 8 mm) wide (Fox 1945, p. 225). Longer terminal leaflets are less than half as wide as they are long with petioles that range from 0.1 to 0.4 inches (2 to 10 mm) in length (USFWS 1988, p. 1). Prairie bush-clover flowers occur individually or paired on spikes 0.8 to 1.6 inches (2 to 4 cm) long and 0.2 to 0.3 inches (5 to 8 mm) thick (Fernald 1950, p. 927). Later in the growing season, the species produces white, wooly fruit pods that are 0.1 to 0.2 inches (3 to 4 mm) long, which is approximately equal to or barely exceeding the length of the outermost part of a flower (Gleason 1952, p. 436).

Prairie bush-clover leaflets are green on top and have silvery-white, silky hairs below. Flowers range in color from white or yellow white to light pink with a magenta mark in the center. Later in the growing season, prairie bush-clover plants produce white, wooly seed pods that turn brown as the year progresses.