Purple Prairie-clover

Dalea purpurea

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Zerene cesonia (Southern Dogface, rare vagrant in ON)
S14 3 New World host records; only Z. cesonia occasionally reported in southern ON
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Tetraloniella albata, Colletes howardi (genus-level Dalea specialists, not in ON/QC range)
S17 genus-level specialists on Dalea
❄️ Winter Food Source: Seeds of Dalea species comprise approximately 4.4% of the diet of Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) by weight/volume. Seeds persist into winter on dried stems, providing a minor food resource for ground-foraging birds.
S57 genus-level dietary record, 2 studies

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: Critically imperiled in Ontario (S1), where it is at the extreme eastern edge of its range. Not listed under SARA. Globally secure (G5) with a Canadian national rank of N5, reflecting abundant western populations in SK, MB, and AB. Ontario populations are few and isolated prairie remnants.
S22+S1+S26
Rarity Ranks: QC SNA – Not Applicable, ON S1 – Critically Imperiled
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: A quintessential tallgrass and mixed-grass prairie species of dry hills, sand prairies, and black-soil prairies across the Great Plains. In Ontario, it is critically imperiled (S1), restricted to a few remnant prairie sites. Naturally associated with Schizachyrium scoparium and other prairie grasses on well-drained, often calcareous soils. As a nitrogen-fixing legume in the Fabaceae, it plays a key role in prairie nutrient cycling.
S4+S7+S46+S29+S22

Roles: Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
Notes: As a nitrogen-fixing legume, Dalea purpurea enriches prairie soils for neighbouring plants. Its deep taproot accesses nutrients and moisture unavailable to shallow-rooted companions. Well-suited to naturalistic prairie plantings alongside warm-season grasses and other forbs on dry, well-drained sites.
S29+S4

Category: Dermatological Aid, Cardiac, Antidiarrheal, Pulmonary Aid, Panacea
S28 Moerman categories from 6 Drug uses
Notes: Multiple Indigenous Nations used this plant medicinally. Montana Indians applied a poultice of steeped bruised leaves to fresh wounds (dermatological). Chippewa used a decoction of leaves and blossoms for heart trouble. Meskwaki used compound containing florets for diarrhea, and an infusion of root for measles. Navajo used the plant for pneumonia. Pawnee took an infusion of root as a prophylactic against disease.
S28

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Roots were chewed for their sweet flavor by Comanche, Lakota, and Ponca peoples. Dried leaves were used as a tea substitute by Navajo and Oglala. PFAF rates edibility 2/5, reflecting limited but documented traditional use as a minor food resource.
S28+S29