Dalea mollis

Hairy prairie clover

Family: Fabaceae · Type: annual · Native

Hairy prairie clover is a California native annual found in the desert bioregions in creosote-bush flats, washes, and roadsides at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces white to lavender flowers in compact ovoid clusters 8 to 15 millimeters wide. Growing as a low-spreading mat with multiple stems less than 10 centimeters tall, it forms delicate ground-hugging patches. Its leaves are divided into 8 to 12 small, rounded to oblong leaflets, each 3 to 7 millimeters long, appearing soft and slightly folded. The plant is characterized by its shaggy, needle-like calyx lobes and densely hairy stems, giving it a fuzzy, delicate appearance.

Habitat: Common. Creosote-bush flats, washes, roadsides

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 800 m

Bioregions: D

California counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo, Imperial, Los Angeles, San Diego

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.