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Feather Dalea

Dalea formosa

Other common name(s):

Featherplume, Indigobush

Family:

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Chihuahuan Deserts, Edwards Plateau, High Plains, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Arid Llano Estacado, Canadian/Cimarron High Plains, Llano Estacado, Rolling Sand Plains, Shinnery Sands
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys, Semiarid Canadian Breaks

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Shrub

Height

3
to
6
ft.

Spread

3
to
6
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Clay, Rocky, Limestone, Caliche, Well Drained, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Red, Yellow, Purple

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Forage, Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Browsers, Small Mammals, Nectar Insects, Deer, Bees

Maintenance

Will get leggy in good soil or if fertilized. Should be cut back in the spring. Good ground cover. Prefers dry soils. Perfect ground cover for large, sunny areas. Propagation: Seed.

Comments

Blooms April-August. A low scraggly shrub bearing tiny, compound leaves and pea flowers with yellow and bright purple to pink-purple petals. It forms large, low-spreading mounds with silvery, delicate leaves. Short, spike-like clusters of fuzzy, purple flowers cover the blooming plant. Blossoms are followed by flat, shaggy-haired seed pods.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym/s: Parosela formosa

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DAFO. 3) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=10895&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Dalea+formosa&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 5) Wasowski, Sally and Wasowski, Andy, Native Texas Plants, Landscaping Region by Region, 1988, 1991, pg 239. 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=26616#null.

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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