Dalea purpurea

Dalea purpurea: Purple Thimbles That Shrug Off Drought

Purple 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.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Dalea purpurea
• Common Name: Purple Prairie Clover
• Height: 30–90 cm (1–3 ft)
• Spread: 30–45 cm (1–1.5 ft)
• Flowers: Dense, thimble-shaped heads of tiny rose-purple flowers with orange anthers, blooming from the base of each head upward
• Bloom Time: Midsummer (July to August)
• Foliage: Fine, divided green leaves on wiry stems that grow from a woody base. Crushed leaves have a citrusy scent.
• Features: Fixes nitrogen

Where to Plant: 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.

Companion Plants: Plant purple prairie clover in a dry, sunny native bed with sandy or gravelly soil. Opuntia humifusa opens waxy yellow cactus flowers at 15 to 30 cm in June and July. Sisyrinchium angustifolium adds violet-blue stars at 15 to 45 cm from May to July. Liatris cylindracea brings fluffy pink-purple spikes at 23 to 60 cm from July to September. Panicum virgatum rises behind at 90 to 150 cm in flower, a native switchgrass.

Plant Care: 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.

History: 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.

Final Thoughts: It feeds native bees, fixes its own nitrogen and laughs off drought and deer. Plant a patch in full sun. FREE FERTILIZER, FANCY FLOWERS.