Santa Fe Botanical Garden

Common name: white prairie clover, prairie clover

Family: Fabaceae (Bean)

Distribution: North American Great Plains, Mexico

Habitat: Grasslands, open woodlands

Hardiness: USDA Zone 3 (-40 to -30 °F)

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Occurrence in New Mexico: New Mexico native plant

Growing Conditions: Dalea candida grows throughout central North America, extending from Canada to Oaxaca, Mexico. It is common along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. We have two varieties in New Mexico: var. candida occurs occasionally in open woodlands and grasslands in the west-central region and var. oligophylla is widespread along roadsides, in grasslands and mountain woodlands. D. candida prefers well-drained sandy or loamy soil. It grows best with a medium amount of water, but a taproot that may grow 5-6 feet deep confers some drought tolerance. It grows in full sun and does not perform well in shade. It is easily grown from seed and will self-seed in optimum growing conditions. Mature plants do not transplant well because of the deep taproot. This nitrogen-fixing plant is valuable for prairie restoration or naturalized areas, but may also be used in rock gardens, borders or native plant gardens.