Purple Prairie Clover vs Baltic Rush - TreeTime.ca

Purple Prairie Clover vs Baltic Rush

Dalea purpurea

Juncus balticus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Purple Prairie Clover
Baltic Rush

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.

Baltic Rush is a widespread native perennial rush that forms dense clumps of upright, cylindrical stems. Well adapted to saturated soils, it is common in wetlands, streambanks, and riparian zones, and is tolerant of both fresh and saline conditions. Hardy and low-maintenance, Baltic Rush contributes to soil stabilization and enhances wetland habitats.
It offers cover for small animals, nesting habitat for birds, and limited forage for livestock when young and tender. Its dense growth and rhizome networks add structural diversity that supports wetland ecosystems, making it well-suited for riparian planting, shoreline stabilization, wetland restoration, and reclamation projects.

Purple Prairie Clover Quick Facts

Baltic Rush Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 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: colony-forming, sometimes in lines
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: none


Flowers: purple flowers in dense cone-like heads
Bloom time: mid summer
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: wire rush, wiregrass