White Prairie-clover

Dalea candida

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: S14 Hemiargus isola recorded but 0 Canadian records; not verified in ON/QC
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Tetraloniella albata, Colletes howardi
S17 genus-level Dalea specialists
❄️ Winter Food Source: Seeds consumed by Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Phasianidae); small indehiscent legumes may persist into winter on dried stems.
S57 genus-level diet record; S61 fruit dry, does not split open

Proximity Score: 2
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ❌ ON
Closest Direction: NW
CEC Eco-Regions: 9 – Great Plains, 9.2 – Temperate Prairies, 9.2.2 – Lake Manitoba and Lake Agassiz Plain
Rarity Notes: Extirpated from Ontario (SX). Not listed under SARA. Nationally ranked N4 in Canada, reflecting secure populations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Global rank G5 (secure). Historically present in Ontario prairies but now considered lost from the province.
S22 rank_on=SX, national_rank_ca=N4, global_rank=G5; S26 not SARA listed; S1 ON=extirpated, native in SK, MB
Rarity Ranks: QC SNA – Not Applicable, ON SX – Extirpated
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: A nitrogen-fixing prairie forb of dry grasslands, sandy ridges, and open woods across the Great Plains. Typically found on well-drained sandy, rocky, or clayey prairie soils, often in association with tallgrass and mixed-grass prairie remnants including Andropogon, Sorgastrum, and Liatris.
S4 sandy, rocky, clayey soil in prairies and open woods; S29 dry desert and alluvial soils, prairies; S48 specimens from mesic prairie, dunes, sandy ridges

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
Notes: As a nitrogen-fixing legume (Fabaceae), Dalea candida enriches prairie soils and supports neighboring vegetation. Its extended bloom period (May-September) provides sustained pollinator resources. Well-suited to prairie guild plantings alongside warm-season grasses and other forbs.
S29 fixes nitrogen, supports surrounding vegetation; S64 pollinator attractor

Category: Analgesic, Gastrointestinal Aid, Toothache Remedy, Disinfectant, Febrifuge, Panacea, Dermatological Aid, Emetic, Veterinary Aid
S28 Moerman drug categories across Navajo, Pawnee, Hopi, Keres uses
Notes: Widely used in Navajo medicine: roots chewed for pain relief (analgesic, toothache remedy), compound decoctions for stomachache and loose bowels, and as a 'life medicine' for fever (Ramah Navaho). Pawnee used root infusion as a prophylactic against disease. Hopi recognized the plant as a strong emetic. Kayenta Navajo applied poultice to arrow wounds. Keres peoples used root infusion as a hair wash.
S28 17 medicinal uses across Navajo, Pawnee, Hopi, Keres nations

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Roots eaten raw or chewed for their sweet flavor by Navajo, Acoma, Laguna, Keres, Kiowa, and other Indigenous peoples. Roots also dried and ground into meal (Acoma, Laguna, San Felipe). Peeled stems eaten by Kiowa. A tea-like beverage made from dried leaves. Flavor is variable; some roots are fibrous or acrid.
S28 13 food uses across multiple nations; S29 root raw/chewed, tea from leaves, flavor variability