Clover, Purple Prairie (Dalea purpurea)

The precious magenta tufts of Purple Prairie Clover spike out from a whimsical spray of foliage, attracting an array of bees, moths, and butterflies— hosting in particular the Southern Dogface, California Dogface, and Reakirt’s Blue Butterfly. It is even listed as a superfood for the Rusty Patched bumblebee. The thimble-shaped cone of a flower head has small flowers blooming from the bottom up, rich with nectar. This resilient native plant has a deep taproot (it can grow over six feet long!) that allows it to withstand extreme drought and heat, and so long as it is growing undisturbed and in well-drained soil, the plant should have a long life span. As modern development has disrupted the natural habit of this flower, Dalea purpurea is an excellent prairie restoration plant on lands degraded by strip mining, preventing erosion and fixing nitrogen in the soil. Though enjoyed by many grazing herbivores, too much mammal browsing can be destructive for the propagation of Purple Prairie Clo