Round-headed bush clover

An older patient with slowly rising creatinine and urea, mild fluid retention and fatigue, in whom gentle support of renal excretion is wanted alongside conventional care

Early-stage kidney disease with dry skin, sluggish urine output and mild uremic itch, where a bland, non-irritating diuretic is preferred over stronger herbs

Overview. Round-headed bush clover is a tall, silvery, upright legume of the North American tallgrass prairie and dry open woods, with dense round heads of small cream flowers in late summer. The leafy flowering tops are used. It was a remedy of the Omaha, Ponca and other Plains nations for rheumatic pains and neuralgia, and in the mid twentieth century a standardized flavonoid extract was developed in France and used clinically as a kidney remedy for azotemia, which gave the plant its modern reputation as a gentle renal herb.

Clinical Notes. Lespedeza earns its place as a mild, well-tolerated diuretic for people whose kidneys are slowly failing and who need help clearing nitrogenous waste. Think of it in early to moderate chronic kidney disease, in the elderly with borderline creatinine, and as a supportive herb in chronic nephritis once the acute phase has passed.