Purple Prairie Clover vs Fireweed - TreeTime.ca

Purple Prairie Clover vs Fireweed

Dalea purpurea

Chamaenerion angustifolium (Epilobium angustifolium)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Purple Prairie Clover
Fireweed

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. As a perennial, it dies back to the crown each winter, it will regrow from the base in the spring. Avoid disturbing the crown during late winter to ensure healthy growth the following season.

Fireweed is a native perennial wildflower known for its tall spikes of bright pink to purple blooms. Its long-lasting summer flowers are an important nectar source for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, while its seeds provide food for birds. Its showy, long-lasting display makes it visually striking in naturalized plantings.

Fireweed gets its namesake because it is often one of the first species to return after wildfires, supporting ecosystem recovery. Its wind-dispersed seeds allow it to spread readily, making it highly effective in large-scale restoration, revegetation, and naturalization projects.
Fireweed is the Provincial Flower of the Yukon.

Purple Prairie Clover Quick Facts

Fireweed Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1a
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 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: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, dense, colony-forming
Spreading: seeds - high, rhizomes - high
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: purple flowers in dense cone-like heads
Flowers: pink-purple spikes
Bloom time: mid summer
Bloom time: mid summer to fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: violet prairie-clover
Other Names: fire weed, great willowherb, rosebay willowherb, willow herb