Purple Prairie Clover vs Canada Mint - TreeTime.ca

Purple Prairie Clover vs Canada Mint

Dalea purpurea

Mentha canadensis

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Purple Prairie Clover
Canada Mint

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.

Canada Mint is a native perennial plant known for its fragrant edible leaves. It produces small white to purple flowers in clusters around the stem and is commonly found in wet areas, including ditches and along wetlands, lakes, and rivers. The leaves can be eaten fresh or used to make teas and essential oils.

Canada Mint can spread quickly through underground rhizomes, making it well-suited to naturalization and restoration projects where it can spread freely. In smaller urban yards or gardens, container planting is recommended to help manage its growth. If planted directly in the ground, regular care and maintenance may be needed to limit its spread.

Purple Prairie Clover Quick Facts

Canada Mint Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1a
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 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: spreading, colony forming
Spreading: rhizomes - high, seeds - low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: aromatic, edible
Flowers: purple flowers in dense cone-like heads
Flowers: small, white to purple clusters along stem
Bloom time: mid summer
Bloom time: mid summer to early 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, PE
Other Names: violet prairie-clover
Other Names: american wild mint