Everwilde Farms - 2000 Purple Prairie Clover Native Wildflower Seeds - Gold Vault Jumbo Bulk Seed Packet

This native clover is a key component of many native wildflower seed mixes. As a legume, it fills a special role in fixing nitrogen in the soil of the prairie. The delicately scented wildflowers are perfect for attracting native pollinators as well. Meriwether Lewis described this prairie plant in his diary entry of September 2nd 1804, saying that "the Indians use it as an application to fresh wounds." He went on to collect several more specimens and described them fully in his notes, since he had no previous knowledge of the plant. Purple Prairie Clover produces protein-rich seed that is a source of food for many birds as well as deer, antelope, livestock, and small animals of all kinds. Native Americans also valued this versatile plant, often brewing the leaves for tea or eating the roots as a delicacy. The Pawnees dried the stems and tied them together for brooms, leading to the nickname "broom weed." The genus name Dalea honors Samuel Dale (1659-1739), an English botanist, physician, and historian.