Common Name: White Prairie Clover

General Information

Dalea candida oligophylla is an erect to ascending, herbaceous perennial plant producing a small clump of slender stems 30 - 70cm tall from a thick taproot. The stems tend to be unbranched near the base, with a few upright branches near the top[, , ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It can be used in restoration projects for restoring native prairies.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Central and southern N. America - Alberta to Manitoba, south to Arizona, northern Mexico and Texas

Habitat

Dry, open places in deserts, grassland and open woods, found in a great variety of soils; in climax grassland mostly on breaks and stony or gravelly ridges, not directly competing with sod-forming grasses ; at elevations up to 2,000 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Dalea candida oligophylla is a very cold hardy plant, able to tolerate winter temperatures below -20°c. It grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is around 250 - 450mm[].
Requires a well-drained soil in full sun[]. A deep-rooted plant, it prefers a sandy loam with added leaf mould and is only occasionally found on clay soils in the wild[, ]. This species is well-suited to informal and naturalistic plantings, especially as part of a collection of native species[].
The stems, leaves and flowers are dotted with glands, making the plant look blistered[].
Rabbits are very fond of this plant and will often eat it in preference to other species nearby. They will often damage new plantings[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

Root - raw or chewed for its pleasant sweet flavour[, , ]. The root can be dried, ground into a powder and stored for later use[].

Leaves - cooked[]. The peeled stems have been used as a food[].

A tea-like beverage is made from the dried leaves[].

Medicinal

The plant is a strong emetic[].

A poultice of the plant has been used to treat wounds[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is sometimes found as a pioneering species on disturbed shallow soils or gravels, and can be used as a component in the reclamation of drastically disturbed lands, in range renovation and prairie restoration projects. It is also a potentially useful plant for roadside and rest area beautification, park plantings and recreational garden natural area plantings[].

Other Uses

An infusion of the roots has been used as a hair wash to prevent the hair from falling out[].

The plant has been used for making light brooms[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in 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[].