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Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication |
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| JerryFriedman Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 |
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Summary
Dalea lanata is a prostrate perennial plant with a deeply penetrating orange-yellow taproot that produces one to a few stems 25 - 70cm long. The stems branch upward from near the base[1359 ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as food and medicine. Woolly prairie-clover is a native southwestern legume with edible roots that are sweet and aromatic but usually woody and fibrous, best boiled for a broth. Leaves have a strong, unusual aroma and are not traditionally eaten. USDA Zones 5–9; native, not invasive.
Physical Characteristics
Dalea lanata is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Insects.
It can fix Nitrogen.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
Parosela lanata (Spreng.) Britton
Plant Habitats
Edible Uses
Root - raw[46 , 105 , 257 ]. A sweet flavour, it is regarded as a sugar[257 ]. The skin is scraped off and the root is eaten as a sweet[161 , 257 ]. Woolly prairie-clover (Dalea lanata var. terminalis) is a perennial legume native to the southwestern United States. Like other prairie-clovers, its roots are edible, though quality can vary widely between plants. Roots are generally described as sweet, pleasantly aromatic, and sometimes compared to “natural candy,” but they are also consistently woody, often splintering into irritating fibers when chewed. Even young roots tend to be fibrous rather than tender. Peeling the thin skins usually removes most of the chewable portion, but boiling offers a better solution: the sweetness dissolves into the water, producing a yellow-brown broth or beverage. This broth ranges from mildly pleasant to rich enough to resemble a light syrup, depending on the plant. Leaves of Dalea species were sampled during field studies though not generally recorded as traditional foods. They are aromatic, resinous, and faintly fruity, with evergreen-like notes. While they might be added sparingly to salads or soups for flavor, their food use is not well documented. Overall, woolly prairie-clover roots have potential value as a survival food, but they are rarely abundant or easy to process, and bitterness or soapiness may occur in some plants [2-3].
References More on Edible Uses
Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
A poultice of the plant is applied to centipede bites[257 ].
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
References More on Other Uses
Cultivation details
Requires a sunny position. Found in the wild only on sandy soils[1359 ]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[200 ]. Woolly prairie-clover thrives in dry, open habitats of the Southwest and is adapted to USDA Hardiness Zones 5–9. It is a native species and is not considered invasive or weedy, persisting naturally in its regional habitats.
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
Temperature Converter
Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:
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Plant Propagation
Seed - sow in early spring in a greenhouse. The seed has a hard seed coat and benefits from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them into their permanent positions in the summer[200 ].
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Woolly prairie-clover (Dalea lanata var. terminalis)
Native Range
Native to: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Mexico Northeast, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah.
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it's worth checking.
It is a native species and is not considered invasive or weedy, persisting naturally in its regional habitats.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Not available
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
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Expert comment
Author
Spreng.
Botanical References
Links / References
For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.
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