Sericea lespedeza has been grown in the South for hay with good results. Sericea lespedeza is often planted as a food source for the northern bobwhite and other upland birds.
Rabbits eat the bark in the winter.
The foliage is eaten by deer, rabbits, and wild turkey. The leaves that drop during the growing season and after frost make an excellent mulch. The leaf mulch, the dense stands of plants, and the deep, branching root system protect the soil against running water. Sericea lespedeza should be planted later than the annual lespedezas, but preferably before May 15. Very few insects feed on sericea lespedeza.