Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
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  • White Prairie Clover

    SCIENTIFIC NAME: Dalea candida


    COMMON NAME: White Prairie Clover

    BLOOM TIME: June, July, Aug, Sept

    Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie credit: R. Kapala

    PLANT PROFILE:

    • Stems & leaves are hairless.
    • Single or a few stems arising from base of plant & reaches 1-2½ ft. tall.
    •  Dense quarter inch flowers in cylinder shape with 5 orange stamens.
    • A 1-3 in. spike of flowers sits atop stems.
    • White 5 petaled flower forms wreath around spike & open from bottom to top of spike as season progresses.
    • Habitat: prairies & open woodlands.
    • Presence indicates a high quality habitat.
    • Early settlers used as a tea for diarrhea.
    • Pawnee used tough elastic stems for brooms & drank root tea to ward off disease.
    • Some native American used for tea.
    • Poncas Nation chewed it for pleasant taste.
    • Native American Indians used plant leaves for a tea to put on open wounds.  

    INSECT/ANIMAL INTERACTIONS:

    • Readily consumed by mammalian herbivores of all kinds because palatable & high in protein.
    • It is possible that small rodents may carry the seeds to their dens.
    • The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bumblebees, Halictid bees, Plasterer bees, Sphecid wasps, Tiphiid wasps, Syrphid flies, thick-headed flies & small butterflies.