Purple Prairie Clover vs Hairy Golden Aster - TreeTime.ca

Purple Prairie Clover vs Hairy Golden Aster

Heterotheca villosa

Dalea purpurea

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Hairy Golden Aster
Purple Prairie Clover

Hairy Golden Aster is a native perennial wildflower known for its clusters of bright yellow, daisy-like blooms. They bloom from mid-summer into fall, providing late-season colour and a valuable nectar source for pollinators, including a variety of bee species.

Flowers mature into fluffy seed heads and can self-seed readily. Removing spent blooms helps manage their spread, but some people will choose to leave a few seed heads to provide food for birds. Hairy Golden Aster grow in bushy clumps, tolerates poor sandy soils, and once established, are among the most drought-tolerant wildflowers. They are well-suited for pollinator gardens, restoration, naturalization, and xeriscaping projects.

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.

Hairy Golden Aster Quick Facts

Purple Prairie Clover Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: very fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - high, rhizomes - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: bright yellow, daisy-like
Flowers: purple flowers in dense cone-like heads
Bloom time: mid summer to early fall
Bloom time: mid summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON
Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON
Other Names: hairy false golden aster, hairy false goldenaster, hairy goldenaster
Other Names: violet prairie-clover