Purple Prairie Clover

Purple prairie clover is a native, warm-season, perennial
legume. The plant has one to many stems that grow up to
2.5 feet long from a woody, stout taproot that branches
near the surface. The leaves are about one inch long and
very narrow. They alternate and have an average of five
leaflets per pinnate compound. The flowers appear on the
end of the stems and have cylindrical floral spikes about
two inches long. The flowers open beginning at the base
of the flower head and progress up to the tip. Seed is
produced in a seed pod about ½ inch long. The seed pod
will contain between one to two seed each. Purple prairie
clover blooms from April to June with the seed maturing
from mid July to late August.