Blue Boy Clematis vs Purple Prairie Clover - TreeTime.ca

Blue Boy Clematis vs Purple Prairie Clover

Dalea purpurea

Clematis integrifolia Blue Boy

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Purple Prairie Clover
Blue Boy Clematis

Purple Prairie Clover is a native perennial wildflower known for its striking purple blooms. The flower heads grow as dense spikes on tall stems, with each flower head containing many tiny blossoms. Blooming for 4–6 weeks in the summer, it attracts a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.

The high protein content of the Purple Prairie Clover makes it excellent forage for wildlife and birds like to feed on its seeds. As a nitrogen-fixing plant, it enriches the soil, improving fertility and benefiting nearby vegetation. These ecological contributions make it a great choice for pollinator gardens, prairie & rangeland restoration, naturalization, and re-vegetation efforts.

This drought and heat-tolerant plant thrives in various soil conditions, including rocky soil, making it remarkably easy to grow in challenging environments.

Blue Boy Clematis is a cold-hardy, fast growing, woody climbing vine. Hundreds of stunning steel-blue bell shaped flowers adorn the vine throughout the summer that droop and appear to hang in the air. The fibrous stems spread and create a fan-like symmetry shape.

This species will do best with support from a trellis, fence, or even other shrubs or tree stumps.

The Blue Boy Clematis was developed in Manitoba, Canada in 1947 by famous breeder Frank L. Skinner by crossing C. integrifolia x C. viticella, but it didn’t gain popularity until the 1990’s.

Purple Prairie Clover Quick Facts

Blue Boy Clematis Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2b
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: very fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium


Flowers: purple flowers in dense cone-like heads
Flowers: steel blue
Bloom time: mid summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: yes
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON
Other Names: violet prairie-clover