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Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea

Purple Prairie Clover grows in clumps and prefers sunny, average to dry conditions. A great plant for pollinators, including the Rusty Patched Bumblebee.

USDA symbol: DAPU5

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height1 to 3 feet
Light ExposureSun
Soil MoistureDry
Bloom ColorPurple
Purple Prairie Clover (Purple Prairie Clover<div><em class="small">Dalea purpurea</em></div>)
Photo credit: United States Department of Agriculture (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceLow
General Resilience8
Salt ToleranceMedium
Stress ToleranceDrought Tolerant, Fire Tolerant

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsJuly to August
Larval Host ofBees, Butterflies, Moths
Specific Pollinators HostedAristotelia roseosuffusella, Numerous bee species, Zerene cesonia
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project TypeBoulevard, Shoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism7
Herbivore SensitivityMedium
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadSlow
Soil StabilizationDeep
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAnoka, Becker, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac qui Parle, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Roseau, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands