The scientific name honors Samuel Dale, a 17th-18th century botanist from England, while the translation of candidus refers to the plants' white flowers. White prairie clover is a perennial plant in the legume family (Fabaceae) native to the Midwest or central United States from Canada to Mexico. This plant can be found in a variety of habitats such as prairies, foothills, disturbed areas and forests. Its deep and thick taproot can grow up to 5' deep, making this plant drought tolerant while its self-seeding capabilities will help to form patches of summer blooming plants. The seeds are disbursed by the wind. The long taproot provides fertility to the surrounding soil by way of it nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Its tiny, showy flowers bloom from bottom to top of the long, cylindrical head. The heads may grow to 3" long and will take on the form of a dense ruff as it blooms. The bloom period takes place in mid-summer and can last for up to one month. This plant is sometimes confused with White Dalea or D. albiflora, however, White Prairie Clover has 5 stamens while White Dalea has 10. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: No serious disease or insect issues.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Very Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 9 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Linear; Oblanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The dull green leaves are composed of 5 to 7 narrow leaflets, forming a 2-7" long leaf. The narrow leaflets are less than 1/4" wide and typically 1 1/2" long. Glandular dots can be found on the underside of the leaflets.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Cup; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The white flowers are approximately 1/4" across, have 5 petals and 5 stamens. Blooming begins at the bottom of a spike and continues to bloom in an upward direction.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Legume
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The dry fruits do not split open when ripe.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The flowers form at the top of the erect sender, pale green stems. The lower portion of the stem is typically unbranched, while the upper portion can be sparsely branched.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
US native
Distribution
AL, AR, AZ, CO, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NH, NM, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, WI, WY
Wildlife value
The flowers attract bees, butterflies and birds. It serves as a host plant for the Dogface butterfly. Its high protein content provides great forage for both wildlife and livestock.