SafePlants

Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)

Purple Prairie Clover is a vibrant prairie wildflower known for its striking red-violet flowers. It's a popular choice for native plant gardens and prairie restoration projects.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant has stiff, upright stems.
• It's known to attract insects.

Considerations for Children

• The plant has stiff, upright stems.
• It's known to attract insects.

Nomenclature and Taxonomy

• Scientific Name: Dalea purpurea
• Common Names: Purple Prairie Clover
• Family: Legume
• Synonyms: Mentions Dalea aurea, Dalea grayi, Dalea greggii, Dalea villosa, Petalostemum purpureum
• Another plant in the same genus is Dalea candida (White Prairie Clover), also referred to as Petalostemum candidus and P. occidentale.

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to the north-central portion of the United States.
• Found in dry prairies, glades, and rocky open woods.
• Also used for revegetation of western sagebrush-steppe habitats from low to moderate elevations.
• White prairie clover is common in dry prairies

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Perennial plant, typically growing to be about 3 feet tall (though some sources cite 1-3 feet).
• Intensely red-violet flowers bloom at the tips of stiff, upright stems.
• Leaves may be densely packed on the lower part of the stem.
• Deep-rooted.
• Warm-season legume.
• Silky Prairie Clover, a related plant, can resemble a shrub form, with ascending or lax, branched stems that are 20-35 cm high.

Ecological Role

• Known for turning plains purple as far as the eye can see.
• Provides good forage.
• A soil stabilizer due to its deep taproot.

Other Notable Information

• Excellent range species with high protein content.
• Prefers sand loam soils and soils of low fertility.
• Easy to grow in average, well-drained soils, in full sun.
• Seed germination rate tends to be low, but can be improved by scarification.
• Slow to develop.