As the spring flora transitions into summer, the erect and creeping prairie clovers of all sizes, shapes and colors begin dotting our landscapes, helped along by this year’s above-average rainfall.
Prairie clovers (genus Dalea) are great indicators of intact grasslands and savannas in Texas and are heavily utilized by wildlife. Texas is blessed with 42 of the 70 species of prairie clovers that occur in the United States.
Prairie clovers prefer prairies and savannas with little competition. Fire suppression practices, however, have eliminated the wildfires that cleared out encroaching woody plants and renewed our prairie grasslands and savannas. Now the expansion of woody shrubs and trees threatens many of the prairie clovers, which need warm, sunlit prairie or savanna landscapes to survive.
While you are traveling or hiking in prairie and savanna landscapes this late spring or summer, keep an eye out for prairie clovers. Texas is blessed “over and over” with prairie clovers, so enjoy these extremely diverse and dazzling members of the legume family.
