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  • Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover) bloom
  • Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover) in natural habitat
  • Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover) seed pods
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Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover) bloom
Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover) in natural habitat
Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover) seed pods

purple prairie clover

Dalea purpurea

Purple prairie clover is a North American prairie native with beautiful knobby rose-purple flowers. Flowers are held on long stems above a clump of fine leaves. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators adore the flowers. Birds feast on the seeds.

Easy to grow in dry soil in full sun. Do not grow in overly rich soil. Deer resistant.

Host plant for the Dogface Butterfly.

Tip: Plant young and do not move. This plant has a deep taproot that takes a long time to establish; it resents disturbance.

Zones: 4 to 8
Family: Papilionaceae
Type: Perennial
Height: 12 to 36 in.
Spread: 12 to 18 in.
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Conditions: Dry
Bloom Time: July to August
Bloom Color: Rose-purple
Native Range: central North America with some distribution into New York and Washington

image credits

Image 1 (bloom) Joshua Mayer from Madison, WI, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 2 (form) Blaine Hansel, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 3 (foliage) Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover) bloom
Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover) in natural habitat
Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover) seed pods

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