Dalea purpurea
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Kuhnistera purpurea
- Petalostemum purpureum
- Psoralea purpurea
- Phonetic Spelling
- da-LAY-ee ah pur-PUR-ee-ah
- Description
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Purple prairie clover is a herbaceous perennial wildflower native to West Central Canada and the West Central and East Central United States. It grows 1 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 1.5 feet wide with tiny purple flowers with a cone-like flower head, compound leaves with 3 to 7 leaflets, and woody, wiry stems. It is native to the prairies of the Midwest and has been used for land reclamation after strip mining, to prevent erosion, and to add nitrogen to the soil. It is adapted to areas with periodic wildfires, as this removes larger competing plants. The genus name, Dalea, honors an English botanist, Samuel Dale. The specific epithet, purpurea, means purple. It is a member of the bean family (Fabaceae).
Purple prairie clover prefers full sun and is adaptable to a wide range of soil types, including sandy, rocky, and clay-laden soils. It tolerates moist to dry, well-drained soil.
The individual flowers are tiny and are born on a cone-shaped flower spike in early to mid-summer, from June to August. The leaves are dark green, pinnately compound with 3 to 7 small, narrow leaflets. The green stems are woody and wiry. The fruit is a legume and contains 1 to 2 seeds. The plant's mature taproot is coarse and woody, and can grow 5.5 to 6.5 feet deep. Best propagated by seeds.
Despite its name, it is not a true clover. It is a legume with a long taproot, and is a protein source for grazing herbivores, as well as a nectar source for many pollinators such as bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. Use this plant in a naturalized, drought-tolerant setting as a border, in a rock garden, or in mass plantings in a prairie.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This perennial has no serious insect or disease issues.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Dalea purpurea var. arenicola
- Dalea purpurea var. purpurea
- Dalea purpurea var. arenicola
- Dalea purpurea var. arenicola, Dalea purpurea var. purpurea
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Dalea purpurea var. arenicola
- Dalea purpurea var. purpurea
- Dalea purpurea var. arenicola
- Dalea purpurea var. arenicola, Dalea purpurea var. purpurea
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Dalea
- Species:
- purpurea
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The stems were used as brooms by the Pawnee people. Native Americans boiled the plant's leaves for food and made tea from the leaves. The leaves were also boiled to make a poultice for wounds. The roots were chewed for their flavor.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central Canada and West Central to East Central United States
- Distribution:
- Native: United States: AL, AZ, CO, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MT, NM, ND, OK, TN, TX, WI, and WY; Canada: Alberta, Saskatchewan; Introduced: NY
- Wildlife Value:
- Source of protein for mammalian herbivores, pollinator nectar source, food plant to larvae of the Dogface Sulphur (Colias cesonia) and Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola) butterflies.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Colorful
- Easy to Grow
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Edibility:
- The leaves are used for making tea and medicines, and the roots are palatable when chewed.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Perennial
- Wildflower
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Description:
- Fruit is a legume, and each pod has 1-2 yellowish-green to brown seeds. The seeds mature in late summer.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The flowers are dense cone-shaped spikes, 0.4 to 2.6 inches long, and appear at the end of the stem. They sport tiny purple flowers in early to mid-summer (June to August). Initially, the flower opens at the bottom of the spike and ascends upward throughout the season. Individual flowers are ΒΌ -inch across, with 5 purple petals and 5 protruding goldish-orange anthers. Flowering lasts for about 1 to 1.5 months.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves are dark green, pinnately compound with 3 to 7 narrow leaflets. Each leaf measures 2 to 5 inches long, and the linear leaflets are 0.5 to 1.5 inches long and 1/8 inch wide.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- The plant is unbranched with stiff, erect, woody, wiry, slightly ridged, hairless, green stems. Older plants have numerous branches, usually 3 branches, but there can be as many as 10 to 12.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Specialized Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Erosion
- Wind
