{"title":"Dalea","description":"\u003cp\u003eRosy-purple thimble flowers in summer over fine foliage. A tough native that feeds bees and handles dry soil.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"dalea-purpurea","title":"Dalea purpurea","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eDalea purpurea\u003c\/em\u003e: Purple Thimbles That Shrug Off Drought\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePurple Prairie Clover blooms in a ring that climbs from the bottom of each thimble-shaped head to the top, like a slow-motion stadium wave. Native, tough and citrusy when you crush a leaf. THE CROWD GOES WILD.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlant Characteristics:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBotanical Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eDalea purpurea\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCommon Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Purple Prairie Clover\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 30–90 cm (1–3 ft)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpread:\u003c\/strong\u003e 30–45 cm (1–1.5 ft)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlowers:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dense, thimble-shaped heads of tiny rose-purple flowers with orange anthers, blooming from the base of each head upward\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e Midsummer (July to August)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fine, divided green leaves on wiry stems that grow from a woody base. Crushed leaves have a citrusy scent.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fixes nitrogen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere to Plant:\u003c\/strong\u003e Plant it in a meadow, prairie planting, pollinator garden or dry, sunny border. It's also a good choice for gravel gardens and sandy slopes. Set it out in groups of three to five, since a single plant is slim and easy to miss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompanion Plants:\u003c\/strong\u003e Plant purple prairie clover in a dry, sunny native bed with sandy or gravelly soil. \u003cem\u003eOpuntia humifusa\u003c\/em\u003e opens waxy yellow cactus flowers at 15 to 30 cm in June and July. \u003cem\u003eSisyrinchium angustifolium\u003c\/em\u003e adds violet-blue stars at 15 to 45 cm from May to July. \u003cem\u003eLiatris cylindracea\u003c\/em\u003e brings fluffy pink-purple spikes at 23 to 60 cm from July to September. \u003cem\u003ePanicum virgatum\u003c\/em\u003e rises behind at 90 to 150 cm in flower, a native switchgrass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlant Care:\u003c\/strong\u003e Plant in full sun in well-drained, sandy, gravelly or average soil. It tolerates clay that drains, but sitting water in winter can kill it. Skip fertilizer. Water through the first season, then let its deep taproot take over. Be patient. It comes up late in spring and can take two or three years to reach full size and flower well. Mark the spot so you don't dig into it in April. Cut it back in late fall or early spring, leaving a few centimetres of stem, since new growth comes from the woody base. The deep taproot means it doesn't divide or transplant well, so plant it where it can stay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory:\u003c\/strong\u003e Purple prairie clover is native to the prairies of central North America, from the Great Plains east to the tallgrass prairie remnants of southwestern Ontario, and despite the common name it's a member of the pea family, not a true clover. Its deep taproot can reach close to 2 m (6.5 ft), which is how it survives prairie droughts and fires.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinal Thoughts:\u003c\/strong\u003e It feeds native bees, fixes its own nitrogen and laughs off drought and deer. Plant a patch in full sun. FREE FERTILIZER, FANCY FLOWERS.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Perennials","offers":[{"title":"Tray of 18 Plants (9cm Pots) \/ Purple \/ 3","offer_id":50776400003350,"sku":"DALEPU09","price":195.95,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0870\/5366\/4534\/files\/Daleapurpurea.png?v=1764279651"}],"url":"https:\/\/blacksheepperennials.com\/collections\/dalea.oembed","provider":"Black Sheep Perennials","version":"1.0","type":"link"}