Common Name: Silky Prairie Clover

General Information

Dalea villosa is a herbaceous, perennial plant producing a cluster of erect, branched stems 20 - 80cm tall from a dense root crown and long, thong-like orange roots. The plant has a taproot system that can penetrate 150cm into the soil[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a fod. It can be used as a soil stabilizer and in native landscaping.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Central N. America - Saskatchewan and Manitoba, south to New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana

Habitat

Deserts, shifting or partially stabilized sand dunes, dry prairies, and open woodlands on sparsely vegetated sites; usually on deep, sandy soils[].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Dalea vilosa is found from the cold prairies of southern Canada, where it can experience months of deep snow, to the warm temperate coastal plain of the southern USA. It is known to thrive in areas where the mean annual rainfall is around 300mm[].
Requires a sunny position growing best in deep, well-drained sandy soils but also growing well on silt-loam soils[]. It is almost only found on sandy soils in the wild[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
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

None known

Medicinal

The roots are used as a purgative[].

The leaves and blossoms are eaten as a treatment for swellings inside the throat[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Prairie clovers in general are useful plants for roadside vegetation, parks, recreation areas and soil stabilization, whilst this species is also useful for native landscaping. It prefers disturbed sites with little vegetative competition and could play a role as a soil stabilizer on sandy sites[].

Other Uses

None known

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[].