Bloomipedia
White prairie clover (Dalea candida)
Photo: Will McFarland via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

White prairie clover

Dalea candida

White prairie clover (Dalea candida) is a low shrub in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

White prairie clover is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

28states where USDA records it
2Bloomipedia state lists include it
4,646U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Nebraska, North Dakota

Quick look

Dalea candida is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name white prairie clover. It is native to North America, where it can be found throughout central Canada, the central United States, and northern Mexico. It can sometimes be found outside its range as an introduced species.

  • It belongs to the Fabaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 28 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Nebraska and North Dakota. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 200 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #78 among the 147 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 90 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #76 among the 116 flowers on our North Dakota list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (428 records)
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
NebraskaNativefew records (5)200
North DakotaNativefew records (11)90

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Nebraska
Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
North Dakota
No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: GA (S1), KY (S2), TN (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records white prairie clover in 28 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Nebraska counties with USDA records: Antelope, Arthur, Banner, Blaine, Box Butte, Boyd, Brown, Buffalo, Cass, Chase, Cherry, Cheyenne, Cuming, Custer, Dawes, Deuel, Dodge, Douglas, Dundy, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Gage, Garden, Garfield, Gosper, Grant, Hall, Hitchcock, Holt, Hooker, Howard, Jefferson, Kearney, Keith, Keya Paha, Kimball, Knox, Lancaster, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Morrill, Nance, Otoe, Phelps, Red Willow, Richardson, Rock, Sarpy, Saunders, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Stanton, Thomas, Valley, Washington, Webster, Wheeler.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Barnes, Benson, Billings, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Pembina, Pierce, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Ward, Williams.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 820 counties across 25 states; the most are in Kansas (98), Missouri (81), Illinois (62).

Other Dalea on Bloomipedia (2): Purple prairie clover, Feather dalea.

More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.

More Nebraska flowers

White clover (Trifolium repens)

White clover

Trifolium repens

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in NE
Red clover (Trifolium pratense)

Red clover

Trifolium pratense

★ VT state flowerIntroduced

🌼 Few flowering records in NE
Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)

Leadplant

Amorpha canescens

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NE

Sources