Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea Purpurea
General Information
Purple Prairie Clover is an easy-to-grow, upright herbaceous perennial.
Purple Prairie Clover is typically found in Midwest prairies and is adapted to areas with periodic fire. It’s thick, deep taproot makes it well adapted to drought. It is adaptable to many soil types but will not do well on wet sites.
Purple Prairie Clover has showy cone-shaped spikes with tiny purple flowers. Flowers open from the bottom to the top between July and September.
Purple Prairie Clover is not a not a true clover, but rather a legume with a long taproot. As such it is a nitrogen-fixing plant. Leaves can be used for making tea and medicines, and the roots can be chewed.
Plant Information
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Sun Preference:
Full Sun * Part Sun
Soil Moisture Preference:
Medium * Medium-Dry * Dry
Plant Height:
1 to 2 feet
Plant Width:
1 to 2 feet
Plant Spacing:
1.5 to 2 feet
Flower Color:
Purple
Flower timing:
July to September
Culture Information:
The best locations to plant Purple Prairie Clover include meadows, naturalized areas, drought tolerant gardens, pollinator gardens, rock gardens, native plant gardens, or prairies.
When first planted, Purple Prairie Clover should be watered weekly for first few months, unless at least an inch of rain has been received in the last week to help it get established. After it becomes established, Purple Prairie Clover needs no watering, as it tolerates drought.
As with most perennials, Purple Prairie Clover can be cut to the ground after the first freeze or left until late winter.
Tolerates:
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Wind
Pests & Disease:
Purple Prairie Clover has no serious insect problems.
Purple Prairie Clover has no serious disease problems.
Wildlife Use:
Pollinators: Purple Prairie Clover is a good nectar source for many pollinators. It is a larval host plant for Dogface Sulphur (Colias cesonia).
Birds: N/A.
Mammals: As a legume, herbivores such as deer, will graze on Purple Prairie Clover.
Other: N/A.
Native to:
More Information:
NC State Plant Database:
Missouri Botanical Garden:
TN-KY Plant Atlas
Other Link: