Compact Prairie Clover Seeds (Dalea compacta)

Compact Prairie Clover is a low-growing native perennial that forms neat, upright clumps with delicate fernlike foliage. It produces small cylindrical purple flower spikes from spring through summer, creating a tidy and colorful display in sunny, dry locations. Drought tolerant, it is native to the south-central United States, specifically Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The long blooming period provides nectar for butterflies, native bees, and other beneficial insects from spring through late summer. This plant is particularly valuable for supporting small native pollinators.

Germination: Sow in late Fall outdoors or early spring in a greenhouse. The seed has a hard seedcoat and benefits from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer