Purple Prairie Clover

Scientific name

Dalea purpurea

Description

The Purple Prairie Clover is a long-lived, multi stemmed, perennial wildflower species that can grow up to 1 m in height. The leaves are alternately arranged, pinnately compound, narrow shaped, deep green colored, and have entire margins. The flowers appear on dense, cylinder shaped spikes at the top of the stems. Florets emerge from these spikes starting from the bottom up, which are rosy pink coloured, have five petals, five yellow stamens, and bloom between June and August. This plant can fix atmospheric nitrogen into an accessible form, which can be beneficial for nearby vegetation. The flowers are attractive to pollinator species, like bees and butterflies.

Planting conditions

Purple Prairie Clover grows best in dry to normal conditions with full sun exposure. It prefers well-drained sandy soil but can grow in a variety of soil types, including clay. It is drought tolerant due to its deep taproot but young plants should be watered occasionally until established. It is intolerant of full shade and excessive competition. This wildflower can be naturally found in dry meadows, prairies, rocky slopes, sandy hills, and dry shoreline slopes.

Details

• Plant height:
  • Max 1.5m
  • Max 2m
  • Max 3m
  • Any
• Moisture level:
  • Dry
  • Normal
  • Drought Tolerant
• Light conditions:
  • Full sun
  • Partial sun
• Soil type:
  • Sandy
  • Loamy
  • Clay
  • Rocky
• pH:
  • Normal
• Depth:
  • Wildflower
• Eco Zone:
  • 3a
  • 3b
  • 4a
  • 4b
  • 5a
  • 5b
  • 6a
  • 6b
  • 7a
  • 7b
  • 8a
  • 8b
• Plant type:
  • Wildflower
• Height:
  • 1 m
• Spread:
  • 0.5 m