Purple prairie clover

Sun

Full sun; flowering and stem strength decline in shade.

Water

Water regularly during establishment, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. Established plants usually need water only during prolonged drought.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gravelly or loamy soil, including relatively poor soil. Tolerates clay where drainage is good; avoid waterlogged ground, especially in winter.

Height

1-3 ft (0.3-0.9 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Summer, usually June-August in the Northern Hemisphere; tiny rose-purple flowers open in a ring that moves upward along each cylindrical spike, with contrasting orange stamens.

Foliage

Fine-textured green foliage with compound leaves divided into small, narrow leaflets; stems die back for winter.

Growth

Moderate once established; young plants spend time developing their deep roots.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.3 ft (0.4 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   2 ft (0.6 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US and Canada

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant in full sun with good drainage, leaving room for its mature spread.
• Water young plants through their first growing season; reduce watering once their roots are established.
• Avoid routine feeding, particularly nitrogen-rich fertiliser, which can encourage weak, floppy growth.
• Keep heavy organic mulch away from the crown; a light gravel mulch suits dry sites.
• Choose a permanent position and avoid dividing established clumps because their deep taproots resent disturbance.

Pruning. Leave stems and seedheads standing through winter if practical. Cut dead stems back to just above ground level in late winter or early spring, before new growth develops.

Late winter

Cut back old stems before new shoots appear, leaving any occupied hollow stems nearby for insects.

Spring

Plant young plants in a sunny, freely drained position and water them in thoroughly.

Late spring

Remove competing weeds around young plants without digging deeply near their roots.

Summer

Water establishing plants during dry spells; avoid frequent watering of mature clumps.

Late summer

Leave some flower spikes to ripen if you want seed for propagation or natural reseeding.

Autumn

Sow seed outdoors following any scarification instructions supplied with it; check that winter rain drains freely around established plants.

• Repeat small groups among little bluestem and prairie dropseed for a fine-textured prairie planting.
• Plant through a sunny gravel border, where the purple spikes provide summer colour without rich soil.
• Use in the middle of a pollinator border with butterfly weed and black-eyed Susan.
• Include in a small meadow on a dry, sunny site, allowing seedheads to remain after flowering.

Garden styles it suits: Native meadow, Midwest prairie, Pollinator garden, New perennial (prairie), Dry gravel garden and Desert / xeriscape.

Plant it with: Little bluestem, Prairie dropseed, Butterfly weed, Black-eyed Susan, Pale purple coneflower and Rough blazing star.

Wildlife: Flowers attract native bees, including specialist prairie-clover bees, as well as butterflies and other pollinating insects. Seed-eating birds may visit the ripe seedheads, and foliage is browsed by some mammals.

• Crown or root rot in wet soil: improve drainage before planting or move young plants to a drier site; avoid winter-wet positions.
• Floppy stems in shade or overly rich soil: provide full sun, stop feeding and avoid excessive watering.
• Rabbit or deer browsing, especially on young growth: protect establishing plants with suitable mesh guards or fencing.
• Poor establishment after transplanting: use young container-grown plants, disturb roots as little as possible and avoid moving mature clumps.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is generally recognised as poisonous, but this is an ornamental plant rather than a recommended food plant.

• White prairie clover (Dalea candida)

  Has similar cylindrical flower spikes and fine compound foliage, but its flowers are white rather than purple.

• Red clover (Trifolium pratense)

  Has rounded pink-purple flowerheads and leaves with three broad leaflets, often marked with a pale chevron; purple prairie clover has elongated spikes and several narrow leaflets.

Dalea honours the English botanist Samuel Dale, while purpurea means purple and refers to the flower colour.

Propagation. Usually grown from seed. The hard seed coat often needs scarification; follow the seed supplier's treatment instructions, then sow outdoors in autumn or in containers in spring. Use deep pots and transplant while young to minimise taproot disturbance; division is not recommended.

Accepted botanical name

Dalea purpurea

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Alabama, Alberta, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Michigan.

Measured

Average height 52 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.