Purple Prairie Clover ~ Dalea purpurea (Petalostemon)
Purple Prairie Clover was in full bloom along the highway on our drive back from Colorado in Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. One of my favorite mid-season native perennials, it has bright purple conical shaped blooms with orange stamens that stick out beyond the petals.
Purple Prairie Clover starts to flower from the bottom upwards. The flower spike is light gray in color before the five parted purple flowers emerge. A major attractant to many bee species, the bees like to travel in circles around the flower spikes collecting pollen.
Here is a bumble bee about to enjoy the nectar.
At my local park in the restored prairie, many honey bees were nectaring upon the Prairie Clover as well. The first I've seen any number of honey bees this season.
Purple Prairie Clover grows between 12 and 36" in height, this year with all of our rainfall it's almost 3' tall. The fine linear pinnately divided leaves are light gray in color and contrast nicely with neighboring prairie grasses and broad leaved forbs.
We have tried to establish Purple Prairie Clover in our yard for several years, but had it browsed heavily by rabbits. This year though, now that the surrounding plants have filled in it is flowering nicely.
Purple Prairie Clover is a native of dry to medium well drained soils in prairies and open sunny locations.
It is native to Alberta southwards to Arizona and east to Ontario in the north and Georgia in the south.
I enjoyed this post. A few years ago, I tried growing some called, 'Stephanie'. It didn't survive the winter. Now that we had to have the tree in our front yard cut down, I decided to try it again. I bought a couple plants that were already starting to bloom. A few days after planting them, about half of the top of one was eaten, but so far, they haven't been bothered the rest, or the other one that is more in the open.
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago, I found some native ones like yours, and planted 2 of them. Right away, the rabbits ate them down. I put wire frames from hanging baskets over each of them, and am pleased they are starting to grow. I also had to protect my phlox pilosa and prairie phlox, and some of the liatris. I guess that would be difficult if I had more property, but since the yard is not so large, I am willing for a bit of junkiness to protect some plants.
Hi Sue,
ReplyDeleteYes, these are a favorite of bunnies. My native plant grower friend told me that the rabbits literally broke into their greenhouse to get at the Prairie Clover.
Once you have other plants around them established, the rabbits have a harder time finding the Prairie Clover.
Heather