Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Safe

Can Alpacas Eat Sericea Lespedeza?

Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) — a legume. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team
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Yes — sericea lespedeza is safe for alpacas.

It is acceptable forage or browse in normal amounts.

Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)
Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata). Photo: Dalgial, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Safe
Scientific name
Lespedeza cuneata
Family
Fabaceae
Plant type
Legume
Also known as
Silky Bush-clover, Perennial Lespedeza, Chinese Lespedeza, Chinese Bush-clover

Feeding notes

High-tannin forage researched for reducing barber pole worm loads in goats and sheep. Coarse when mature; best as hay or pellets cut young.

How to offer it

  1. Introduce any new forage or browse gradually over a week or two.
  2. Make sure it is fresh — avoid moldy, wilted piles or plants sprayed with herbicide.
  3. Keep a balanced diet: grass or hay first, with a camelid mineral available.

About the plant

Lespedeza cuneata is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names Chinese bushclover and sericea lespedeza, or just sericea. It is native to Asia and is present elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes an invasive plant. Australian populations of Lespedeza juncea have sometimes been considered to belong to this species but are now considered to be distinct.From Wikipedia — “Lespedeza cuneata”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 33,590 recorded observations of Lespedeza cuneata (Dum.Cours.) G.Don worldwide, including 22,169 in the United States. It belongs to the Fabaceae family, together with Rosary Pea, Black Locust, Coffee Senna & Sicklepod, Kentucky Coffeetree, Laburnum. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Can alpacas eat sericea lespedeza?
Yes. High-tannin forage researched for reducing barber pole worm loads in goats and sheep. Coarse when mature; best as hay or pellets cut young.
How much sericea lespedeza can an alpaca eat?
As part of a varied diet based on grass or grass hay, it can be eaten freely. Introduce new browse gradually.

Keeping pastures safe

  • Walk every paddock and fence line each season and remove toxic plants, including roots.
  • Never throw garden, hedge or lawn clippings over the fence.
  • Check pastures after storms for fallen branches (cherry, red maple).
  • Buy hay from known sources and inspect it for weeds.
  • Keep pastures well managed — hungry alpacas eat plants they would normally avoid.

Browse the full toxic plant checker, the printable list of poisonous plants and the list of safe plants.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a veterinarian who has examined your animals. Camelid medicine uses many drugs “extra-label”, so dosing must come from your vet. In an emergency, call your vet first. Read our disclaimer · How we write and review content.

Data: plant status compiled from veterinary toxicology references (see sources); taxonomy and occurrences from GBIF; identifiers from Wikidata Q5364126.