Indigenous to the meadows, forest peripheries and roadsides of China′s Yunnan province, this enduring easy-care perennial yields slender, upright cinnamon-colored stems and long, sparsely arranged green leaves with 7 to 15 delicate-looking lance-shaped leaflets. Loose racemes hold the small pea-like pale purple blooms, whose somewhat demure mien morphs into a wondrous autumn spectacle when spiky green spheres appear. Embellishing the landscape through early winter plus fresh and dried arrangements, the ample-sized seed heads spawn stubby henna-hued bristles, while the roots possess medicinal and culinary qualities.

Blooms June–August

Size: 4' 0" – 5' 0" high x 20" – 2-1/2' wide.

Hardy to zone 6.