Dalea purpurea Stephanie

Dalea purpurea 'Stephanie', also known as Petalostemon purpureus, is a beautiful improvement of a wild perennial plant native to the great plains of the United States. Little known, this cousin of alfalfa forms a vigorous bushy clump, endowed with remarkable adaptability and a very pretty summer flowering in pink-purple, very melliferous and reminiscent of the spikes of certain lavenders. With a deep root system, very hardy, it enriches the soil that welcomes it and adapts equally well to temporarily waterlogged or dry situations in summer. Its main enemy is shade.

Dalea purpurea 'Stephanie' is a more compact, denser and more floriferous selection of a botanical species belonging to the Fabaceae family, also known as Kuhnistera violacea. In nature, it is found spontaneously in a large part of North America (except for the West Coast of the U.S.A), growing in various very sunny environments, from the floodplains of rivers to the sandy hills of Nebraska, passing through the large prairies and forest clearings, among the tall grasses, without fuss, perfectly enduring the cold and dry summers.

The 'Stephanie' variety, recently introduced to the market, forms a semi-woody and branched bushy clump, with a rather spreading habit, reaching a minimum height of 40cm (16in) and a diameter of 50cm (20in). The flowering takes place from June to August, in the form of numerous and curious conical spikes covered with tiny nectar-rich flowers. The colour, a bright pink-purple, is enhanced by golden stamens. The flowers generally open from the bottom to the top of the spike. The foliage, which disappears in winter, is composed of small, thick leaves, divided into three to 7 very narrow leaflets, 3-4cm (1-2in) long. This plant develops from a particular root system, which dives very deeply (up to 2m (7ft)) into the soil to draw and transform nutrients thanks to the presence of symbiotic bacteria housed in small nodules. Like all Fabaceae, this Dalea contributes to enriching the soil that welcomes it.

Dalea is closely related to Baptisia, sainfoin and lupins, plants considered as green manure and soil fixers, even in degraded conditions. They are not demanding in terms of soil and moisture, but they are completely intolerant to shade. Dalea purpurea 'Stephanie' will find its place in a romantic garden, a dry garden, or on the edge of a pond, in natural and rural flowerbeds. It is also useful for decorating a degraded plot of land, which often surrounds a recently built house. It looks stunning in the company of landscape roses, blue or white lavenders, Baptisias, or Allium bulgaricum. It also pairs perfectly with Amorpha canescens, Symphyotrichum sericeum (silky aster), or large American grasses such as Schizachyrium scoparium, Andropogon gerardi, and Panicum virgatum, all equally spectacular and easy to grow.

Dalea purpurea is used for the revegetation of sterile soils and erosion prevention. Its foliage is good fodder for livestock. It was once used to prepare a tea, and its roots were also consumed, while its branches were used as brooms.