Purple prairie-clover

Purple prairie-clover, Dalea purpurea, doesn’t look anything like the lawn version of clover many of us are familiar with. This charming native prairie plant grows from Canada to Texas. Prairie-clover is a legume species (member of the pea family), high in protein with small narrow leaves. It grows up to three feet in height with a deep taproot. Its bright purple color is  eye-catching and it often grows in appealing drifts. This was taken in a nearby prairie where it has begun its bloom.