Purple prairie clover, Violet prairie clover
Petalostemon purpureus

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A pea family plant. An erect plant with many stems. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 45-90 cm high and spreads 45 cm wide. The leaves are 5 cm long. The leaves are alternate and compound. There are 3-5 narrow small leaflets. The flowers are red or purple. They are small and occur in densely packed cylinder shaped heads. These can be 12-50 mm long. The fruit occur as many small dry pods.

Where it is found

It grows in the drier, tall grass prairie in central USA. It suits hardiness zones 4-10.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Canada, North America, USA

How it is used for food

The dried leaves are used for tea. The roots are chewed.

Edible parts

Root, leaves - tea

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Dalea purpurea;