Striate seed is blotched in color, while Korean seed is black and shiny. Striate lespedeza flowers about three weeks later than Korean lespedeza and will not set seed until November. Plants are killed by hard frosts. If this occurs before seed matures, the crop may not produce enough seed to reseed itself. Undependable natural reseeding in areas prone to early frost has been the primary disadvantage of striate lespedeza in the northern parts of its range.
Striate lespedeza has a prostrate growth habit which makes it better suited to pasture than hay.
Korean lespedeza has a more upright growth habit, better drought tolerance, better response to lime and fertilizer, higher yield potential and reaches harvest stage earlier than striate lespedeza. However, it is extremely susceptible to bacterial wilt and tar spot. These diseases result in summer leaf loss and thinned stands and often cause Korean lespedeza to fail to attain its yield potential in Arkansas. Korean lespedeza is also less competitive with companion grasses than striate lespedeza. If the site to be planted has not grown lespedeza for more than three years, seed should be inoculated with Bradyrhizobium spp.