As summer gives way to fall, keep an eye out for sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) — an invasive plant that can take over grasslands, pastures, roadsides, and other open areas. 🌿 Introduced from Asia, sericea lespedeza is recognizable by its small leaves made up of three narrow leaflets and clusters of cream-colored flowers, often with purple markings. It flowers in late summer, followed by seed production as the growing season winds down. Sericea lespedeza spreads primarily by seed. Seeds can be dispersed by animals and moved through human activities, including on vehicles and equipment or in contaminated soil and plant material. Once introduced, this tough plant can form dense stands that compete with native vegetation, reduce plant diversity, and provide poor-quality forage for many grazing animals. That makes fall an important time to think about where seeds might be traveling. Whether you're hiking, working, hunting, riding, or exploring open landscapes, clean mud, seeds, and plant material from your footwear, clothing, vehicles, and equipment before heading somewhere new. A few minutes of cleaning can help keep invasive seeds from traveling with you. 📸 [Image Credit: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org] #PlayCleanGo #StopInvasives #SericeaLespedeza #LespedezaCuneata #CleanYourGear #InvasivePlants #ProtectOurGrasslands #PreventTheSpread