Clover: Purple Prairie (Dalea purpurea)
SKU:
$1.00
$1.00 - $5.60
$1.00
per item
Meriwether Lewis described this prairie plant in his diary entry of September 2nd 1804, saying that “the Indians use it as an application to fresh wounds.” He went on to collect several more specimens and described them fully in his notes, since he had no previous knowledge of the plant. Purple Prairie Clover produces protein-rich seed that is a source of food for many birds as well as deer, antelope, livestock, and small animals of all kinds. Native Americans also valued this versatile plant, often brewing the leaves for tea or eating the roots as a delicacy. The Pawnees dried the stems and tied them together for brooms, leading to the nickname “broom weed.” The genus name Dalea honors Samuel Dale (1659-1739), an English botanist, physician, and historian.
Scientific Name: Dalea purpurea
Also known as: Violet Prairie Clover
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Perennial
Maturity (Bloom): Summer-Early Fall
Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water: Keep the soil consistently moist until germination, which usually occurs within 10-12 days. Water seedlings occasionally until they become established
Soil Moisture: Medium to Dry
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes. Attracts bees and produces protein-rich seed that is a source of food for many birds as well as deer, antelope, livestock, and small animals of all kinds.
Height: 12-36"
Diameter: 1 to 1 1/2 feet
Spacing: 15-18"
Sow Depth: 1/4"
USDA Grow Zone: 3a-9b
Produces: a plant with sets of narrow 1” green leaflets, and 1-2” green spikes that bloom with a wreath of tiny pinkish purple flowers that move to the top of the spike.
Also known as: Violet Prairie Clover
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Perennial
Maturity (Bloom): Summer-Early Fall
Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water: Keep the soil consistently moist until germination, which usually occurs within 10-12 days. Water seedlings occasionally until they become established
Soil Moisture: Medium to Dry
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes. Attracts bees and produces protein-rich seed that is a source of food for many birds as well as deer, antelope, livestock, and small animals of all kinds.
Height: 12-36"
Diameter: 1 to 1 1/2 feet
Spacing: 15-18"
Sow Depth: 1/4"
USDA Grow Zone: 3a-9b
Produces: a plant with sets of narrow 1” green leaflets, and 1-2” green spikes that bloom with a wreath of tiny pinkish purple flowers that move to the top of the spike.
Starting Purple Prairie Clover Seeds Outdoors for Spring
It is best to start your Purple Prairie Clover seeds outdoors in early spring. Purple Prairie Clover has a thick, fleshy taproot which permits it to withstand drought but also makes transplanting difficult. Direct sow your seeds ¼” deep in firmly compacted soil 15-18" apart after the last frost date of your area. Keep the soil consistently moist until germination, which usually occurs within 10-12 days. This plant adapts well to sand, clay, and gravel.
Water seedlings occasionally until they become established; the plant develops rather slowly because of the long tap root, which takes much of the plant’s energy in its first year. Mature plants can tolerate drought because of their long taproot, but appreciate watering in dry periods. For the healthiest growth, control surrounding weeds. This plant does not spread aggressively, and attracts bees.
This unusual flower makes a striking addition to flower arrangements. Cut the stems long and place them in water immediately, stripping the leaves that will fall below the water level.
After the green spike finishes blooming, it will turn brown and dry. Since birds and rodents love eating this seed, it should be harvested promptly to avoid loss. Strip the heads from their stalks, holding a container underneath to catch the falling seed. The hulls do not need to be removed, but will slow germination; uncleaned seed will need to be scarified. Store the seed in a cool, dry place.
Dalea purpurea mingles well with prairie residents like Allium cernuum, Asclepias tuberosa, Echinacea purpurea and Liatris aspera. This species also combines beautifully with prairie grasses like Andropogon gerardii. Panicum virgatum, Sorghastrum nutans and Sporobolus heterolepis.
Suggested Varieties
Milkweed: Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
$1.00 - $5.60
Butterfly Weed, one of the most striking of native plants, lights up the prairies with its blazing orange flowers. It thrives in rocky or sandy soil, typically in open fields or along roadsides. One of its common names, pleurisy root, refers to an old remedy for lung ailments that contained this plant. At one time, the silk from this plant’s seed pods was spun for fabric or used for stuffing pillows; in World War II, school children gathered the silk to provide a cheap filling for soldiers’ life jackets. Commercial attempts to make use of this abundant plant included the manufacture of paper, fabric, lubricant, fuel, and rubber; eventually these became impractical and were abandoned. Though this plant is toxic to most animals, butterflies are immune to the plant’s poison and actually become rather poisonous themselves as protection from predators.
Coneflower: Purple (Echinacea purpurea)
$1.00 - $5.60
All the members of the Echinacea genus are native to North America, though they are becoming more rare in the wild. The genus name Echinacea comes from the Greek word for “hedgehog,” referring to the spiny seed head of the flower. Historically, this family of plants has been extensively used by Native American tribes and early settlers because of its beneficial medicinal properties. Echinacea acts as a natural antibiotic, and improves the function of the immune system; it became very popular in the medical field in the early twentieth century, particularly after the extensive researches of the German Dr. Gerhard Madaus. Echinacea is still widely used as an herbal remedy, as well as being a common and well-loved addition to perennial gardens and prairie plantings.